Social media handles:
My Etsy: https://etsy.me/3qIVBVZ
My website:
Instagram: @eyedorabletaylor
Shop Instagram :
Eyedorabletaylorshop
Where are you from & Live now?
New York
Tell me about yourself.
My business is my passion; candle making and art.
What’s your EYE story?
When I was 13 I had a brain tumor/stroke. After my second or third brain surgery, I fell into a coma. After about three months I woke up and I couldn't walk, talk, or move. I remember my dad asking me if I wanted to see myself, and I did. He carried me to the bathroom mirror and he told me I look different so don't be alarmed. I opened my eyes and I remember crumbling to the ground because what I saw in the mirror was my right eye stuck looking up under my eyelid.
Once, I relearned how to walk, talk and move, I was put in outpatient therapy and was allowed to go home. My eye doctor was hopeful that my eye would go back into its place on its own after a year or so. After a year and a half had passed my parents took me somewhere to get a second opinion from a renowned eye doctor. That is when my soul was crushed. He bluntly said there was absolutely no chance of it going back on its own, I remember bawling. I underwent a few eye surgeries to make it look “normal”. My eye was already extremely light-sensitive so I wore sunglasses with one lens popped out. After the surgery, I saw double if I didn’t wear an eyepatch; so my eyepatch journey began. I was told I would never stop seeing double and would always need to wear an eye patch.
What has been the most challenging thing mentally?
Before my brain tumor, I was a part of Broadway acting classes and I loved singing and dancing. My dream was to be on Broadway but after my tumor/stroke I had to relearn how to walk, talk and move. When I relearned to talk, I developed a speech impediment and was unable to sing. When I was not able to do what I loved, my soul was crushed. I was forced to wear an eye patch. Being able to accept myself as a beautiful person was so hard.
I spent years of my young adult life and all of my teenage years hating myself. Imagine me being ridiculed for not looking normal and being passionless. I felt as if I was trapped in a nightmare. Now, 10 years later I have found a passion and turned it into a business. I struggled to love myself when all I heard was the negative, I had a very hard time.
What has been the most challenging thing physically?
Probably only having partial sight and still graduating high school. Now I have an associate’s degree and am pursuing my bachelor's.
Where are you now in your recovery?
Last month I celebrated my 10th anniversary of being tumor-free. The anniversary marks 8 ½ years of wearing an eye patch. I’m currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in communications and have an Etsy business selling candles and other arts and crafts I make.
What piece of advice would you give to someone going through their eye impairment journey?
Please learn to accept and love yourself and only surround yourself with positive people. For me, it's people who know others to have personally gone through traumatic events and have a knowledge base and empathy
[Edited for clarity by Abby]