Kaylee Muthart’s journey from a promising student to a cautionary tale about the dangers of drug addiction is both harrowing and inspiring. Her story underscores the profound impact substance abuse can have on an individual’s life and the resilience required to overcome such challenges.
Early Life and Descent into Addiction
Muthart, hailing from Anderson, South Carolina, was once a straight-A student with aspirations of becoming a marine biologist. However, at 17, she left school midway through eleventh grade due to a combination of working long hours to save for a car and dealing with a heart arrhythmia, which caused her grades to slip. She believed that taking time off would preserve her academic record and improve her chances of securing a college scholarship.
By 18, Muthart was socially drinking and regularly smoking marijuana. Despite a family history of addiction, she initially avoided harder substances. However, at 19, she unknowingly smoked a marijuana joint laced with either cocaine or methamphetamine, leading to a ‘strange high’ that made her feel closer to God. This experience marked the beginning of her descent into substance abuse.
Following this incident, feelings of betrayal and loneliness led her to experiment with other drugs, including ecstasy and Xanax. A breakup further exacerbated her emotional turmoil, pushing her deeper into drug use. In August 2017, seeking the euphoric feeling she once experienced, Muthart tried methamphetamine intentionally for the first time. The drug induced severe hallucinations, and she found herself obsessively picking at her skin until it bled. Despite recognizing the dangers, her addiction escalated rapidly, progressing from smoking to injecting methamphetamine.
The Fateful Day
On February 6, 2018, Muthart’s life took a tragic turn. After consuming a larger-than-usual dose of methamphetamine, she began hallucinating intensely. She wandered to a nearby church, where she believed she needed to make a profound sacrifice to save the world. In her delusional state, she gouged out her own eyes with her hands, a gruesome act she thought was necessary to prevent an impending apocalypse. A pastor discovered her in this state, holding her eyeballs in her hands and screaming about seeing the light.
Recovery and Rehabilitation
Following the incident, Muthart was rushed to the hospital, where doctors performed emergency surgery to clean her orbital sockets and prevent infection. The traumatic event led her to a psychiatric facility, followed by a month-long inpatient drug rehabilitation program. Despite the immense challenges, Muthart displayed remarkable resilience. She began adapting to her new reality as a blind individual, learning to navigate daily tasks and even picking up new skills like playing the piano.
Life After Blindness
In 2020, Muthart received prosthetic eyes, which helped her appear more natural to the outside world. She has since focused on maintaining a positive outlook, embracing her blindness as a consequence of her past choices but not letting it define her future. She has expressed a preference for her current state over returning to a life dependent on drugs, stating, “I’d rather be blind than dependent on drugs.”
Advocacy and Message
Muthart has transformed her personal tragedy into a powerful message against drug use. She openly shares her story to warn others about the dangers of substance abuse, hoping to prevent others from experiencing similar fates. Her journey serves as a stark reminder of how quickly addiction can spiral out of control and the devastating consequences that can ensue.
Conclusion
Kaylee Muthart’s story is a testament to human resilience and the capacity for recovery. Despite the irreversible consequences of her actions, she has chosen to focus on the positives, adapting to her new life with determination and grace. Her experience underscores the critical importance of awareness and education about the dangers of drug use and serves as an inspiration for those battling addiction.
