Daughter was afraid to look in the mirror after eye-removal surgery — then her mom's response made everything better

The trauma and grief a person feels when they end up losing a part of their body to accidents or illness is ineffable. However, a little love and support from their loved ones can change their outlook towards the loss and life. 24-year-old Chandler Plante was just like any other young woman living her life after landing her dream job as an editorial assistant for the editor-in-chief at PEOPLE magazine, per Inspire More. However, her life took a horrible turn when she contracted COVID in 2020. Plante made it through the pandemic but at 21, she suffered a stroke.

The stroke sparked a series of severe health complications, after which she ended up losing her right eye. Plante documented the aftermath of her eye removal surgery on her TikTok page, @chanplante. In a video, Plante's mom is seen removing a pressure patch from her eye and caring for her. Plante was afraid to see herself in the mirror right after the surgery. She kept her eyes closed until her mom spoke words of encouragement to cheer her up. “You look like you have two matching eyes with your eyes closed," Plante's mom told her. Her mom also observed a bit of swelling in her left eye socket, some blood clots and stitches.

Her mom described how Plante's eye socket looked without her eyeball in the most gentle way to comfort her while also sharing the truth with her. According to Plante's GoFundMe page, her hands and arms started to go numb at one point after COVID-19. It all started when she suspected something was wrong and was wheeled into the ER in March 2021. But the doctors weren't too worried about her and Plante was discharged after getting diagnosed with vasovagal syncope and anxiety. Just after 3 months, Plante was back in the hospital after suffering the same symptoms. "This time, faced with classic stroke symptoms like facial droop and slurred speech, the doctors finally realized what was really going on," Plante's GoFundMe page elaborated on the story.

Plante was transferred to a neurosurgeon and was given heavy blood thinners and corticosteroids as the specialists at the hospital tried to figure out what was going on with Plante. When the steroids did not work, the doctors placed metal stents in both of Plante's carotid arteries to prevent another stroke. The surgery went well and she moved to New York to pursue her journalism job. But things were about to get worse for the young woman. One day, Plante woke up with numbness throughout her scalp and the doctors in New York found a giant mass of inflammation directly behind her eye.

Her vision went blurry within a week and she started experiencing pain in her eye. After a while, Plante completely lost vision in her right eye. "To this day, she still has no set treatment plan or diagnosis," the GoFundMe post concluded. Plante continued to raise awareness about her condition and her journey marked with hardships and bravery on her TikTok and Instagram pages. “My page is about healing and positivity and dealing with an absurd situation. Many people believe positive humans are just born this way but I think it’s something I’ve had to practice. I was tired of suffering,” Plante said, per Inspire More.

The TikTok community also cheered for Plante and her mom, as well as wrote supportive comments for the young woman, wishing her all the best for her recovery. @meggywheeler wrote, "I started crying immediately. I can only imagine how scared she must have been as well throughout but she’s not showing even an ounce of that. You got this." @rifftifftheartist shared, "My grandmother had her eye removed in her thirties. It was so painful, and she says it’s the best choice she ever made." @watch.me.you.stalker added, "I pray I can be this gentle and genuine if my daughter should ever need me in a capacity such as this. Your mom is an angel."

You can follow Chandler Plante (@chanplante) on TikTok for more videos on her health updates and lifestyle.