AFTER a busy day of meal prepping and a trip to the gym, Daniella Abreu had just one job left before she could finally put her feet up.
The then 23-year-old took her two-year-old Siberian Husky, Blu, for a walk around the neighbourhood and rang her cousin on FaceTime – but within minutes, a freak accident left her covered in blood.
“I never thought an ordinary dog walk could be the worst night of my life,” she tells Sun Health.
Her terrified relative, still at the other end of the phone, was left convinced she’d been attacked as blood gushed down her face.
Daniella lost her eye – and two years on from her horrifying ordeal, she is urging all other dog owners not to make the little-known mistake that led to her losing her eyesight.
It was August 2023 and Danielle, now 25, was working as a medical assistant at a doctor’s practice in Florida, US.
She loved her job, kept fit and healthy and spent her weekends doing photoshoots with her friends.
“I loved dressing up, going out and modelling for photos with my girls,” she recalls.
“I was very confident and happy with where I was in life.
“That night, I’d just finished meal prepping after the gym and decided to take Blu for his usual evening walk.
“He was two-and-a-half years old, full of energy and mischief.”
It was only as they headed out that Daniella realised Blu’s rope lead was worn out and so grabbed the nearest alternative, an old blue retractable lead.
“I hadn’t used that lead since Blu was a puppy,” she says. “But I didn’t think anything of it.
“I just clipped it onto his collar and headed out.
“As I walked through my quiet neighbourhood, I chatted to my cousin on Facetime, which I always did during Blu’s walks.”
Within a few minutes of leaving the house, Blu spotted something in the dark, which Daniella thinks was a rabbit.
“Suddenly, Blu lunged, and I yanked the lead to pull him back,” she says.
“Then I heard a loud snap and something hit me straight in the eye.
“For a second, I couldn’t even process what had happened.
“There was no pain at first, just this ringing in my ear. Then blood started gushing out, and I realised I couldn’t see out of my right eye.”
Daniella quickly realised the recoil from the retractable lead had struck her in the face, at full force. Panicked and disoriented, she tried to run home.
She says: “With blood pouring into my good eye, I could barely see.
“I remember screaming for my cousin to call my mum. Somehow, I made it home and collapsed into her arms.”
THE WORST VERDICT
HER parents, Luz Abreu, 56, and Nelson Abreu, 60, rushed to her side, terrified but Daniella fainted before she could explain what had happened.
When she came to, paramedics hovered over her, warning that her oxygen levels and blood pressure were dangerously low.
When I finally took off the bandage, I was horrified by what I saw.
Daniella
“I kept asking if I was going to die,” Daniella says. “They told me no but I was terrified.
“After being rushed to hospital, I was taken to the trauma unit.
“The pain hit me all at once. They gave me morphine, but I was sobbing, begging to know if my eye was still there.”
Doctors told Daniella she’d suffered a ruptured eye globe and a detached retina, with fractures around her eye socket and damage to her scalp.
After emergency surgery to stop internal bleeding, Daniella spent days in hospital waiting for news.
When the doctors returned with her parents, the verdict was devastating.
Daniella says: “They said there was too much damage and I wouldn’t see out of my eye again.
“My parents both started crying. I just sat there in shock. It didn’t feel real.
“Dad said miracles happen but Mum prepared me for the worst.”
After two weeks in hospital, Daniella went home to recover, but the ordeal was far from over.
She suffered with agonising migraines, vomiting and her anxiety had hit the roof.
Daniella says: “It was awful. Then when I finally took off the bandage, I was horrified by what I saw.
“My eye had turned grey and shrunken. The eye-lid had sunk inward. It broke my heart.
“I didn’t recognise myself and kept thinking how ugly I was.”
‘ANGRY AT MYSELF’
WITHIN weeks, Daniella’s vision faded completely.
Everyday activities became difficult as she bumped into objects, struggled at the gym, and could no longer enjoy her favourite hobbies including taking photos with friends.
“It was really tough,” she says. “Even though I couldn’t bring myself to walk Blu again, just having him there made me smile.
“My parents were amazing too and were by my side throughout it all.
“Soon I learned how retractable leads are unsafe for strong, adult dogs like Blu. I realised I should never have used that kind of lead on a dog his size.
“It was meant for puppies. I was angry at myself more than anything. But it was just a freak accident.”
Months later, in November, Daniella’s doctors told her the damaged eye would have to be removed.
“The doctors told me keeping my eye could cause an infection that might spread to my good eye and leave me completely blind,” she says.
“I was crushed but I was left with no choice. I had to go through with it.”
A month later, in December 2023, surgeons removed her right eye in a four-hour operation.
Her eye socket needed time to heal before a prosthetic could be fitted, meaning she had to go out in public with an eye patch.
As if that wasn’t enough, only a week later Daniella was rushed back to hospital when her appendix burst, forcing her to undergo another emergency operation.
‘I started to feel beautiful again’
AFTER recovering from both surgeries, she finally returned to the clinic to have her prosthetic eye fitted in February 2024.
Daniella says: “So much was happening to me, I remember thinking, could things possibly get any worse?
“I’d already had to live without an eye for two months.
“When I had my prosthetic eye fitted, I was awake the whole time as they prodded and shaped it.
“I was stunned when the doctor showed me it after. I couldn’t believe how realistic it looked.
“But, it was going to take time. I felt very insecure for a while. I couldn’t look at people.
“My friends and family were telling me they couldn’t even tell the difference.
“In time I started to feel beautiful again.”
How to look after eye injures at home – and when to call 999
MOST minor eye irritations, like getting shampoo or a bit of dust in your eye, usually settle within a day.
If bleach or another strong chemical gets in your eye, start rinsing straight away with clean, cool water and keep rinsing while you get help.
Head to A&E as soon as you can. If you can’t get there safely or you feel very unwell, call 999.
Don’t try to drive yourself, ask someone to take you or request an ambulance, and take your usual medicines with you.
Go to A&E or call 999 immediately if something sharp has gone into your eye, or your eye is hit at high speed (for example using power tools or while mowing).
You should also go if your vision changes, you have a bad headache, a high temperature, or you’re sensitive to light.
Feeling sick or vomiting is another red flag, as is not being able to move your eye or keep it open, or if there’s blood or pus coming from the eye.
For minor problems at home, rinse your eye with plenty of clean, cool or lukewarm water.
Follow the instructions on any cosmetic or household product that splashed in.
You can take paracetamol or ibuprofen for pain.
Don’t try to pull out anything that has pierced the eye, and don’t rub or touch the eye.
Skip eye make-up and contact lenses until it’s fully better.
To rinse properly, hold your eye open and let a gentle stream of clean water run over it for at least 20 minutes.
Use a tap, shower or bottled water, not hot water.
If it’s not improving after 24 hours, or you’re worried, get an urgent GP appointment or contact NHS 111 (online or by phone). An optician can also advise.
Source: NHS
Nearly one year after the accident, Daniella found the courage to take Blu for a walk again. This time, using a standard rope lead.
Daniella says: “It was very emotional. I’d come full circle. I finally felt ready to walk Blu and it went absolutely fine.
“Since sharing my story on social media, I’ve been flooded with messages from other pet owners who’ve suffered accidents with retractable leads.
“People have told me they’ve lost fingers, or their babies have been hurt. It’s made me realise how dangerous these leads can be.
“To any dog owners reading, please, use a normal rope lead and make sure you know what’s safe for your dog’s size.
“I may have lost my eye but I’m getting my life back. I hope to educate others now and turn something horrific into something positive.”
