A young Australian golf star who nearly lost an eye in a freak accident shares how his life — and career — have changed now that he’s blind in one eye.
Jeff Guan, 20, said he was in “excruciating pain” when he was hit by a stray golf ball while competing in a pro-am tournament in September.
“Instant ringing and pain burst into my head and I fell to the ground. The voices sounded quite muffled, and the next thing I remembered was being in an ambulance being taken to the hospital with patches on my skin that contained high doses of fentanyl, Guan said in a statement, according to Sydney Morning Herald.
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There, due to the severity of his injuries, he spent weeks in the intensive care unit. Medical officials say it will take up to a year for Guan to fully recover, and he will be unable to use a golf club for six months. He still hasn’t seen in his left eye, according to the socket.
During his stay in the hospital and now five weeks later, Guan said many thoughts about his golfing future went through his mind.
“During the night in the hospital, I almost drowned in thoughts about the injury and my future in sports. Not only was I completely distraught by the news I received, but the whole situation made me very depressed and a little angry,” Guan said according to Sydney Morning Herald.
“Anxiety about my future swirled in my mind. I was completely freaked out. It came at a huge cost and significantly affected me and my family. Why did this happen? How in the world am I supposed to recover, come back and be the same player I was, or even better? I felt so devastated and lost,” he added.
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Despite his possible permanent injury, Guan said he is not angry with the person responsible for his accident – and has not spoken to them until now.
“They reached out to Golf NSW and Golf Australia while I was in hospital but at that stage I had no contact with anyone. I don’t blame anyone at all. It was just a freak accident,” he said.
While hoping to continue his golf career, Guan said that if playing the sport is no longer in his future, perhaps coaching could be an alternative.
“These four weeks have been the hardest in my life, but I am mentally stronger and will be ready to overcome any obstacle in the future,” Guan said.
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Source: HIS Education