Kaylee Muthart’s life appeared to be destined for a bright future. A straight-A student and a member of the National Honor Society, the Anderson, South Carolina, native dreamed of becoming a marine biologist.
Yet, life’s unforeseen hurdles began to pile up.
After leaving school at 17 to manage long work hours and health struggles, her path took a detour that would later leave her navigating a future she never could have anticipated.
In her late teens, Kaylee began experimenting with substances, initially marijuana.
However, a single encounter with laced cannabis sparked a “strange high” that she could never shake.
Feeling betrayed by her peers and feeling adrift, she found herself resorting to harder substances such as Xanax, ecstasy, and eventually methamphetamine.
“I actively avoided what I considered more serious drugs,” she told *Cosmopolitan*, but her descent into addiction felt inevitable as loneliness and heartbreak took hold.
A pivotal breakup and her growing isolation pushed Kaylee further into dependency.
She admitted, “I remembered the way I felt on the laced weed and sought that kind of peace again.”
Her journey spiraled quickly from smoking meth to snorting and injecting it, feeding vivid hallucinations that warped her perception of reality.
Attempts to quit proved futile, leaving her mother, Katy Tompkins, desperate to intervene.
Despite her mother’s pleas, Kaylee assured her family she was in control.
Even as plans were made for her to enter a rehabilitation program, the pull of addiction proved stronger.
In the days leading up to her scheduled admission to rehab, Kaylee consumed a dose of meth larger than ever before.
That dose would alter the course of her life.
In the early hours of February 6, Kaylee wandered along a railroad track near a church.
Consumed by hallucinations, she believed she had to make an unimaginable sacrifice to save the world and release souls to God.
Kaylee, convinced of her mission, proceeded to gouge out her own eyes using her bare hands. Witnesses reported her cries of, “I want to see the light!” as she carried out the act.
A pastor heard her screams and intervened, finding her still clutching her mutilated eyes, which were barely attached to their sockets.
The community was left in shock as emergency responders arrived to airlift her to Greenville Memorial Hospital.
Her mother, who was in the process of obtaining a court order to have Kaylee committed, learned too late of the tragic turn of events.
Doctors performed emergency surgery to remove what remained of her eyes and prevent infection, delivering the devastating news that Kaylee was now permanently blind.
The incident marked a pivotal moment in Kaylee’s life. Following her hospitalization, she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and transferred to a psychiatric treatment facility.
Her recovery journey included relearning daily life without sight and finding a renewed sense of faith.
Reflecting on the life she left behind, Kaylee shared, “I’d rather be blind and be myself than be Kaylee on drugs.”
Now, she’s using her story to warn others about the dangers of drug addiction.
Music has become her solace, and she has even relearned how to play the guitar, recently mastering Green Day’s “Time of Your Life.”
She’s also discovered a surprising skill—echolocation—allowing her to navigate her surroundings with sound.
“You still see, but you don’t see with your eyes,” she explained.
Kaylee’s resilience shines as she serves as a public speaker for the Commission for the Blind, spreading awareness about the perils of drug abuse.
Through her GoFundMe campaign, she’s raising funds for a seeing-eye dog, a new chapter in her journey of independence and advocacy.
“It’s the same life, but I’m just learning everything in a new way,” she told *PEOPLE*.
“Life’s more beautiful now, life’s more beautiful than it was being on drugs.”
Her story, though tragic, is one of redemption—a powerful reminder of the human capacity to overcome even the darkest moments.
Featured Image Credit: (Instagram/ @kayleemuthart)
