In 2006, Jewel Shuping was blinded by drain cleaner. She told her family that it had been an accident. When they found out the terrible truth about what really happened, her sister and mother stopped talking to her.
Jewel’s “Accident” Had Been Planned
It wasn’t an accident that had caused Jewel’s blindness. What actually happened was much, much stranger. The drain cleaner was just part of the plan.
“I went blind on purpose, but I don’t feel it was a choice.”
-Jewel Shuping
Her Struggle With Sight Didn’t Start There
As a child, Jewel intentionally stared at the sun for hours on end, trying to damage her eyes on purpose. By the age of 20, she had already learned braille and carried around a white cane, even though she still had her eyesight.
By 2006, Jewel couldn’t take it anymore. She enlisted the help of a sympathetic psychologist, who poured drain cleaner into Jewel’s eyes, which eventually caused her to go blind.
Why Would Anyone Do Such A Thing?
Jewel suffers from Body Integrity Identity Disorder (BIID), a condition in which able-bodied people believe they are meant to be disabled.
Living With BIID
Jewel shares her story in the video below in order to help raise public awareness about BIID, and to encourage people suffering from BIID to get the help they need.
“People with BIID get trains to run over their legs, freeze dry their legs, or fall off cliffs to try to paralyse themselves. It’s very very dangerous. And they need professional help.”
-Jewel Shuping
Watch the video to find out more about Jewel and BIID and then please SHARE THIS to help spread the word about this frightening condition.
https://youtu.be/WdRihAJ3H9Q
