Trainee accountant has to tape or glue eyes open due to condition

Tia-Leigh Streamer assumed she had hayfever when she awoke with a drooping eyelid in May 2023, but both her GP and doctors at Southampton hospital were baffled by what had caused it. The 20-year-old woke up one day in December 2023 unable to open either eye and was referred to a specialist who said she may have a rare eyelid condition called blepharospasm. Doctors at Royal Bournemouth hospital trialled Botox injections in her eyelids in March 2024 and since then Tia-Leigh has not been able to open her eyes without the jabs.

When the Botox wears off, the only way she can see is by taping and gluing her eyelids or holding her eyes open with her hands. Even when the Botox is effective, sunlight, car headlights and computer screens can trigger Tia-Leigh's eyes to close. According to the NHS, blepharospasm is a condition where the muscles around the eyelids develop an involuntary spasm and cause the lids to twitch, flutter or blink uncontrollably. In severe cases sufferers may be unable to open their eyes due to excessive eyelid spasm. Doctors do not have a cure but are continuing to trial different volumes of Botox in her eyelids.

Tia-Leigh, from Wimborne Minster, Dorset, said: I have the same level of sight as a visually impaired person but I've got nothing wrong with my eyesight. I know it's neurological but the doctors don't know what causes it which makes it worse for me, because if they could say it's caused from this, I think it would make me feel slightly less in the dark. To be told I've got this for the rest of my life and not know why is a hard thing to deal with. I've not been coping very well. I was prescribed antidepressants half-way through it. I didn't get along with them. I tried therapy, I've tried hypnotherapy but nothing was helping.

The longer it's gone on I've gotten used to it but there are still days where I get really down about it. Especially as the Botox runs out. The more often I have it, at some point my body will get used to the Botox and it won't work anymore. I have them done every eight to 10 weeks at the moment. It was 12 weeks. But I only get about three to five weeks where it actually takes any effect. The rest of the time I have to physically hold my eyelids open to be able to see anything. When I glue or tape them open I can't blink at all. The doctors have said the longer I do that for then I've got more chance of actually damaging my eyes and then possibly losing my sight, which I don't want to do.

I've actually had bruises on my eyelids from the tape before. It's hard because I've either got no sight or one hand essentially. Tia-Leigh was training to become an accountant, but has had to stop working because of her condition - ruining the plans she had for her life. Tia-Leigh said: I was training to be an accountant and then as soon as I got ill I was basically told that this was something that I could never do because of the computer screens. It was awful to be honest, I had everything planned out. I was training to do that and I was saving to move out and get married and have children and it was all taken away from me.

It's the stress of it as well that makes it worse. Anytime I'm really stressed it will make my eyes closed and accounting, I found it really stressful. I think the main thing I struggle with is the freedom side of it. I can't be independent as much anymore. If my eyes are closed I don't go out unless I can get someone to drop me somewhere. But I don't leave the house on my own or go out on my own because I get too anxious not being able to see. I'm basically inside most of the time. It stops me doing things I enjoy. I used to do a lot of crocheting but you need to have two hands to do that so I can't do that even when I'm at home. I can't go down and make my dinner because I've got one hand so I'm restricted to what I can and can't make.

It's then having to ask my family to make my meals, even to the point where my mum has to cut my food up for me. It's like I'm going back to being a child again because I can't use a knife and fork and see what I'm doing. She got married in December 2024 and had to time her Botox injections to ensure she could see on her wedding day. Tia-Leigh said: I wanted to make sure that I had the Botox two weeks before my wedding because it takes my eyes about a week to open after I've had it done. It was a scary day and I think that's one of the reasons that prompted us to get married so quickly. I wanted to make sure I was going to be able to get married and be able to have my eyes open to see what's going on.

Having a baby is something that I worry about and I often have nightmares about it to be honest because even when I have Botox done, at night-time my eyes don't open. Night-time is the worst, they just won't open at all. I have nightmares about a baby next to me and it's crying and I can't wake my husband up and I can't get around to help because of my eyes. I do know now there are things that can be put in place to help because obviously people who are blind all the time still have children.

After speaking to my doctor, it's going to be a trial and error year where he's going to change the volume of the Botox in the top and bottom lid of my eyes. He might change slightly where he puts the injections and he's going to be monitoring it and seeing how long it lasts. It's about hoping he'll be able to find a better balance so we can have some longer effects out of the Botox."