IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE...

Woman Loses Eyesight After Common Showering Mistake

She was still a teenager when the incident happened.

A woman who lost her vision after a common shower mistake is warning others who wear contacts.

Grace Jamison, then 19, was living in the Dominican Republic in June 2025.

She wore corrective contact lenses and didn’t think twice about wearing them in the shower—something she now says she wishes she had known was dangerous.

She developed an infection called acanthamoeba keratitis, which is caused by a microscopic organism found in water and soil.

“I was living in the Dominican Republic, and I showered with my contacts in, and the water there is not very clean,” Jamison said in a TikTok video posted in October 2025. “It had acanthamoeba in it, and I got it. And that’s that. It is what it is.”

According to the official Dominican Republic tourist site, tap water in the country is not safe to drink, as the public water system does not purify it.

The infection became significantly worse after she returned to the U.S. Jamison has said that she initially received the wrong diagnosis and was prescribed steroid eye drops. Her condition deteriorated, and within about a week she had lost her vision completely.

She eventually received the correct diagnosis and began treatment for acanthamoeba keratitis.

According to Jamison, she was blind for nearly two months before beginning the treatment that allowed her to regain vision in her left eye.

Her right eye, however, is still severely damaged.

Jamison, now 20, has since documented her experience on TikTok and Instagram, where she has urged other contact lens wearers not to make the same mistake.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, acanthamoeba can live in water and soil. For contact lens wearers, the organism can become particularly dangerous if contaminated water gets trapped between a lens and the eye.

Dr. Julie Chung, a board-certified ophthalmologist and eye surgeon with over 20 years of experience, told The Looker that contact lenses can create tiny abrasions on the cornea over time, compromising its protective surface.

“Your corneal barrier is already a bit compromised,” Dr. Chung, who has not treated Jamison, explained. “It allows bacteria or amoebae to enter more easily.”

“It’s like skin. If you have a scratch, that could turn into an infection because your skin barrier has been compromised,” Dr. Chung said.

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That is why eye-care professionals advise against showering or swimming while wearing contact lenses. Dr. Chung said the same applies to pools, hot tubs, lakes and other bodies of water.

According to Dr. Chung, Acanthamoeba keratitis is rare, but it is “extremely hard to treat.” Unlike many bacterial eye infections, the organism can exist in a cyst form that makes it resistant to treatment.

“They require months and months of very, very harsh chemicals to try to eradicate the acanthamoeba,” she said. “And even after eradication, there can be a significant scar that’s visually debilitating left over.”

“Oftentimes these patients will go on to get a corneal transplant as their only way of restoring vision, which is probably what’s going to happen if she hasn’t had it already,” Dr. Chung added.

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However, she noted that the treatment is not as simple as any transplant.

“There are corneal rejection rates, which would require you to get another cornea. It’s one of the more complicated procedures to have.”

Jamison hasn’t confirmed whether she would undergo a corneal transplant, but said in the October 2025 post that her treatment plan included eye drops every 30 minutes for six months to a year.

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Dr. Chung noted that microbial keratitis is a more common risk associated with poor contact-lens habits, particularly sleeping in lenses. While bacterial infections are generally easier to treat when caught early, they can still cause serious damage.

For contact lens wearers, she recommends following their eye doctor’s instructions and, when possible, using daily disposable lenses.

“When in doubt, take your contacts out,” Dr. Chung said.

In an Instagram update posted April 16, Jamison explained that a scar now covers the pupil of her right eye. She said she cannot see out of it, although she can detect light and sees “a cloudy whiteness.”

The condition has also left her dealing with significant pain.

“Even though I have been in treatment for over a year, my eye still flares up with no explainable reason,” she wrote in an August 30 TikTok post, where her right eye appeared red.

Jamison now uses her social media accounts to educate her more than 100,000 TikTok followers about contact-lens hygiene. She has repeatedly urged people to wash their hands before handling lenses, replace contact-lens solution after every use, and avoid sleeping, swimming, or showering while wearing them.

She has also shared updates on her life, including getting engaged and starting a teaching assistant job, and shares daily updates on how she’s finding acceptance.

“Even our imperfections can be beautiful!” she wrote in a September 1 TikTok post. “Embrace what makes you different!”

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Pia BelloBeauty & Wellness Intern

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