Kylie Dean, a high school student on her way to a marching band performance, never imagined a sunny morning would change her life.
On that fateful day in September, as she drove near her school, the blinding sunlight made her lose sight of the road, leading to what seemed like a minor fender bender.
But this low-speed crash resulted in life-altering injuries for the teen.
A Minor Collision with Major Consequences
Kylie’s mom, Kelly, shared that her daughter was dazzled by the bright sun, causing her to gently roll into the car in front of her.
The impact occurred at under 10mph, and initially, it appeared that no major harm was done to the vehicles.
However, Kylie, who stands barely 5 feet tall, sat quite close to the steering wheel.
The unfortunate result was a freak accident where her head hit the wheel with just enough force to shatter her right eye socket.
Doctors described her injury as her eye “exploding like a grape thrown at a wall.”
The low-speed collision had somehow caused severe damage, rupturing Kylie’s iris and tearing her tear duct.
Along with her eye injury, she also suffered from a broken nose, broken teeth, and facial wounds.
A Mother’s Worst Nightmare
Kelly received an alert about the crash and rushed to the scene in panic.
When she arrived, she found her daughter and the white Chevrolet Trax she was driving covered in blood.
The image was so horrifying that Kelly feared her daughter wouldn’t survive.
The sight of Kylie’s blood-soaked face, arms, and car still haunts Kelly to this day.
Kylie was quickly taken to Akron General Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio, where she underwent emergency surgery to close her eye.
Despite the operation, she remains unable to see out of her right eye, and her path to recovery will be long and complicated.
A Long Road Ahead for Recovery
Even though Kylie was discharged from the hospital after five days, her injuries will require specialized care.
Doctors revealed that her orbital socket was completely shattered, with multiple fractures around her right eye.
She also needs prosthetic eye parts, which will be custom-made by a specialist company in Germany, along with dental implants to restore her smile.
Kelly has set up a GoFundMe page, hoping to raise the $30,000 needed for Kylie’s plastic surgeries.
Unfortunately, not all of these procedures, such as the dental implants, are covered by insurance as they are considered cosmetic.
Kylie’s mom is determined to raise the funds to give her daughter the chance to reclaim her future.
Hope Amidst Pain
Doctors remain cautiously optimistic about Kylie’s potential recovery.
While her vision in the right eye remains impaired, the retina—the part that sends signals to the brain—appears to be intact.
This offers hope that with proper treatment, Kylie’s vision may be partially restored.
However, her iris and lens are permanently damaged, and she will need prosthetics to replace them.
A prosthetic iris is a surgically implanted substitute for the damaged iris, while a prosthetic lens helps to mask or color the disfigured eye.
These procedures, along with the dental work, are crucial for Kylie to regain her ability to see, play music, and pursue her passions.
The Fight for a Brighter Future
For Kylie, getting the funds for these surgeries is more than just about restoring her physical appearance—it’s about regaining her life.
As a dedicated musician, her facial injuries have affected her ability to play instruments, and without the necessary implants, she fears she won’t be able to perform or return to her normal activities, including driving.
Kelly expressed how much the surgeries mean to her daughter: “She’s only 18, just starting her life, and she needs her teeth, her sight, her music.
Without these surgeries, she loses so much of who she is and what she’s worked for.”
A Community Rallying for Support
Kylie, who had only received her driver’s license a month and a half before the accident, is now facing a drastically altered senior year.
The accident has taken a toll not just physically, but emotionally.
Kylie admits she never expected such traumatic injuries from a minor crash.
Now, she’s relying on community support and donations to help her recover and get her life back on track.
“Having the GoFundMe and raising money for these surgeries would allow me to go back to the way I was before the accident.
I’ve lost so much because of it,” Kylie shared.
“Without the implants and plastic surgery, I won’t be able to play instruments again, act, or even drive.
It’s everything I do and everything I want to do in the future.”
Now, the focus is on rallying support to help Kylie regain what she’s lost and move forward toward a brighter future.
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