With millions of people expected to watch the total solar eclipse that will cross North America on Monday, one New York woman is telling her story of what happens when onlookers don't have the proper eye protection.
The woman, Bridget Kyeremateng, credited as @iambridgeet on her TikTok, begins her video, which has since been taken down, by simply stating, 'It's been about 6 and a half years, I guess it's finally time to tell my story'.
She goes on to say, "It pains me that me and the orange man have something in common". Kyeremateng then revealed that it was back in 2017, "I closed my right eye and I stared at the sun for a good like 15 seconds". She had neglected to use the proper eyewear.
Assumedly, the "orange man" comment refers to when former President Donald Trump was photographed staring at the solar eclipse without eye protection in 2017 during the "Great Amercan Eclipse".
She disclosed at the time that she "didn't think anything of it", but lamented that the very next day she woke up on her 'right side' and she said, "I opened up my left eye to read on my phone and I couldn't read every other word". Kyeremateng further explained that, "there was like a blind spot on every other word I was reading."
Kyeremateng also revealed that she did some research and was concerned that she had solar retinopathy, which is an injury commonly associated with eclipse viewing.
Shocked, Kyeremateng explained that she then "started driving to the eye doctor and couldn't see the signs", reminding viewers that it all happened after only "like 10 seconds that [she] stared at the sun".
With no definite diagnosis, she then disclosed after a few months and moving to New York, she, "finally learned through just some regular testing at the eye doctor" that while there "was no damage that was done to my cornea", certain parts of her eye are now "distorted", so she now suffers from "slow 2020 vision".
"I have slow 2020 vision because I stared at the solar eclipse without the glasses for 10 seconds six-and-a-half years ago".
She closed the video by warning viewers, "Don't be like me... and that orange man".
--with reporting by TMX
