A freak accident involving a designer bag left a young woman with a permanent injury.
Genevieve Brewster says her friend reached back to slide her Dior Saddle Bag over her shoulder on a night out in 2021, and accidentally hit her with the metal strap, causing a small tear in her left eye.
The 24-year-old initially visited a doctor, who cleaned the wound, but did not seek further medical help when she began seeing “flashes of lights” and “floaters,” since she did not have health insurance and said she even worked at a club. night.
“When the bag hit me, I think it caused a small tear,” the model explained. “As time went on and my symptoms got worse and I let it go, that’s when I think the tear turned into a detachment.”
However, in December 2021 she went to hospital after she couldn’t see anything out of her left eye and was stunned to discover three-quarters of her retina had detached.
“Any of the smaller symptoms and signs that I had (I have) I still reject,” he explained.
“I was 22 at the time and I thought, ‘this will pass, it’s no big deal. Nothing can happen to me, I’m young, I’m healthy,'” she continued.
‘That’s the guilt I wake up with every day, I wish I’d gone to the doctor sooner. It’s hard to deal with, deep down you know something is wrong.’
Genevieve Brewster says her friend swung her arm back to slide her Dior bag onto her shoulder, accidentally hitting her with the metal strap, causing a small tear to her left eye.
Genevieve underwent nine huge surgeries, which she says left her looking like she had been “beaten” and “embarrassed” to look in the mirror.
The hospitality worker was hopeful; It is possible that his eyesight could be saved after seeing some improvement in October 2023.
‘When I was first diagnosed, it was not known if I would lose my sight. “In my first surgery he told me there was an 80 percent chance it would work,” he recalled.
“(The surgery is) quite traumatic for the eye, the eye is beyond red and bloodshot for a long time,” he added.
The model said that while she was undergoing surgeries, she felt so embarrassed by how her face looked that she stopped socializing.
‘I would stop going out, I stopped trying to see friends. “I just wanted no one to see me or anyone to look at me,” he admitted.
“It was very difficult to mourn the things I loved,” the hospitality worker continued. ‘I’m an avid skier, I can’t ski anymore. I couldn’t exercise and I was gaining weight.’
However, Genevieve was devastated to learn that her retina had completely detached in September 2024, leaving her only able to distinguish shadows and colors.
The 24-year-old initially visited a doctor, who cleaned the wound, but did not seek further medical help when she began seeing “flashes of lights” and “floaters,” since she did not have health insurance and said she even worked at a club. night
However, Genevieve was devastated to learn that her retina had completely detached in September 2024, leaving her only able to distinguish shadows and colors.
The hospitality worker was hopeful; Your eyesight may be saved after seeing some improvement in October 2023
“It was heartbreaking, I don’t think I ever understood what it meant,” she said sadly.
‘This time I completely detached my retina, everything came off. There was nothing holding it together. That’s when I had to have surgery again.
“(The surgeon) put my retina back together, put oil in my eye and had to laser remove a little more of the scarring,” he explained.
Retinal detachment is where the retina, the thin layer at the back of the eye, becomes loose and must be treated quickly to prevent it from permanently affecting your vision.
Genevieve admitted that her biggest fear now is losing the vision in her right eye, so she takes great care to protect it.
‘If something happens to that eye I don’t know where I would be. “That is my biggest fear,” he shared.
‘Now I can deal with not having clarity of perception in this eye. It’s been two years, I’m used to it,’ she added.
The model now urges others to “listen to their gut” and not be afraid to visit a doctor if they suspect something might be wrong.
“Trust your gut, your gut never lies to you,” he urges.
‘Be prepared as a young person, have insurance, don’t be afraid to go to the doctor. “You have to take care of yourself,” he continued.
‘You are your only defender. You have to defend yourself. Do whatever it takes to make sure you take care of yourself and be your biggest advocate.’