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“So Cowardly”: Katie Piper Announces ‘End Of The Road’ Health Update 16 Years After Acid Attack
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“So Cowardly”: Katie Piper Announces ‘End Of The Road’ Health Update 16 Years After Acid Attack

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TV presenter Katie Piper announced her decision to receive a prosthetic eye 16 years after surviving a life-changing acid attack that left her partially blind. 

Taking to her social media platforms on Friday (January 10), Katie shared a close-up photograph of her damaged eye, along with a short clip showing a doctor carefully conducting a prosthetic eye fitting, using a specialized yellow tool to measure and shape the eye socket.

Highlights
  • TV presenter Katie Piper is getting a prosthetic eye 16 years after surviving an acid attack.
  • Katie shared her decision publicly on social media with gratitude to healthcare.
  • The acid attack was arranged by her ex, leaving Katie partially blind.

The British media personality wrote in the caption: “After many years battling with my eye health, I’ve reached the end of [the] road somewhat, and the decision has been made to try a prosthetic eye shell.”

She continued: “This marks the start of a journey to have an artificial eye, with an incredible medical team behind me.

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    TV presenter Katie Piper announced her decision to receive a prosthetic eye

    Image credits: katiepiper_

    “As always I’m incredibly grateful to all those in the NHS and private health care system for their talent and kindness.”

    The National Health Service (NHS) is a government-funded healthcare system in the UK that provides medical and nursing services to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay. 

    Katie concluded in her now-viral post: “I will share my journey, I’m hopeful and nervous about being able [to] tolerate it and would love to hear from any of you in the comments if you’ve been on this journey or have any advice…”

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    Image credits: katiepiper_

    A slew of people flocked to express their support, as an Instagram user commented: “Got my prosthetic eye 2 years ago I lost mine due to cancer but had to have my eyelid removed not now have a titanium implant with a magnet so my prosthetic just clicks on it gave me so much confidence I can’t thank my doctors enough stay strong you will get used of it.” 

    A person wrote: “What a true inspiration you are Kitty Katty Katie. Make this woman a Dame.”

    Someone else penned: “You are so brave and [an] inspiration to all.”

    Katie’s announcement comes 16 years after surviving a life-changing acid attack that left her partially blind

    Image credits: katiepiper_

    “You’re such an inspiration!” a netizen exclaimed. “This path you’ve been sent down has been so long but you always remain positive and seem accepting of the twists and turns ahead.”

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    A separate individual chimed in: “Another challenge, another surgery which anyone who follows you will know that you will meet it with courage! 

    “You are an incredible woman Katie. Sending love.”

    Image credits: katiepiper_

    The Loose Women panelist is an advocate for those with burns and disfigurement injuries, Sky News reported on Saturday (January 11).

    The 41-year-old has reportedly undergone hundreds of operations after suffering an acid attack arranged by her ex-boyfriend in March 2008.

    She gave up her right to anonymity and made a documentary in 2009 called “Katie: My Beautiful Face.”

    Katie underwent hundreds of operations after suffering an acid attack arranged by her ex-boyfriend in March 2008

    Image credits: Dave Hogan/Getty Images

    Moreover, Katie founded the Katie Piper Foundation, which supports survivors of life-changing burns and scars, and received an honorary doctorate from the Royal College of Surgeons to mark her ground-breaking work, as per Sky News.

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    “Acid violence is a particularly brutal form of gender-based violence, where the majority of perpetrators are men,” Jaf Shah, Executive Director for the Acid Survivors Trust International (ASTI), explained in a report.

    He further explained: “Women, very often, are the victims. The perpetrators’ intentions are extreme: to facially disfigure and inflict enormous physical and mental suffering to victims.” 

    Image credits: katiepiper_

    Jaf added: “There are two key factors that lead to the majority of acid attacks: gender inequality and easy access to acid.”

    The UK now has the highest number of recorded attacks in the world, with a 69% rise in the number of attacks in 2022, ASTI reported.

    According to ASTI, acid attacks peaked in 2017, with 941 recorded cases. The figures then steadily dropped to 421 in 2021. 

    “After many years battling with my eye health, I’ve reached the end of [the] road somewhat,” Katie wrote

    Image credits: katiepiper_

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    Image credits: katiepiper_

    Nevertheless, ASTI stressed that most developing countries do not have a comprehensive national system for recording and monitoring attacks. 

    Additionally, while there are resources available, they are usually focused in urban areas, leading to greater under-reporting in rural areas. 

    Consequently, victims of acid attacks may never present themselves to hospitals for treatment, so their cases go unrecorded, ASTI explained.

    “The attack never robbed her of her beauty,” a reader commented

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    Andréa Oldereide

    Andréa Oldereide

    Writer, BoredPanda staff

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    I’m a journalist who works as Bored Panda’s News Team's Senior Writer. The news team produces stories focused on pop culture. Whenever I get the opportunity and the time, I investigate and produce my own exclusive stories, where I get to explore a wider range of topics. Some examples include: “Doberman Tobias the viral medical service dog” and “The lawyer who brought rare uterine cancer that affects 9/11 victims to light”. You've got a tip? email me: andrea.o@boredpanda.com

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    Andréa Oldereide

    Andréa Oldereide

    Writer, BoredPanda staff

    I’m a journalist who works as Bored Panda’s News Team's Senior Writer. The news team produces stories focused on pop culture. Whenever I get the opportunity and the time, I investigate and produce my own exclusive stories, where I get to explore a wider range of topics. Some examples include: “Doberman Tobias the viral medical service dog” and “The lawyer who brought rare uterine cancer that affects 9/11 victims to light”. You've got a tip? email me: andrea.o@boredpanda.com

    Karina Babenok

    Karina Babenok

    Author, BoredPanda staff

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    As a visual editor in the News team, I look for the most interesting pictures and comments to make each post interesting and informative through images, so that you aren't reading only blocks of text. I joined Bored Panda not that long ago, but in this short amount of time I have covered a wide range of topics: from true crime to Taylor Swift memes (my search history is very questionable because of that).In my freetime, I enjoy spending time at the gym, gaming, binging Great British Bake Off and adding yet another tattoo artist that I would love to get a tattoo from to my pinterest board.

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    Karina Babenok

    Karina Babenok

    Author, BoredPanda staff

    As a visual editor in the News team, I look for the most interesting pictures and comments to make each post interesting and informative through images, so that you aren't reading only blocks of text. I joined Bored Panda not that long ago, but in this short amount of time I have covered a wide range of topics: from true crime to Taylor Swift memes (my search history is very questionable because of that).In my freetime, I enjoy spending time at the gym, gaming, binging Great British Bake Off and adding yet another tattoo artist that I would love to get a tattoo from to my pinterest board.

    What do you think ?
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    Bernd Herbert
    Community Member
    15 hours ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    These kind of stories make me so damn angry. Pathetic losers that don't handle rejection, or have a very twisted sense of "honour". It's such a shame that women are still in most danger to be hurt or even killed by someone close to them. I don't know what kind of prison sentence the attacker got, but it's not long enough

    Ms.GB
    Community Member
    14 hours ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Well he failed because she's still beautiful and I hope that really pisses him off.

    Load More Replies...
    Upstaged75
    Community Member
    17 hours ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I watched her documentary and the poor woman has been through a lot. Personally I think if you are charged with an acid attack your victim should have the right to throw acid on YOU!

    PeepPeep the duck
    Community Member
    4 hours ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    i know it’s slightly different but I was set on fire with petrol by an áss hole, I would NEVER wish it on him or anyone else and she would 1000% feel the same. Throughout learning to walk and eat again and getting your life back, the last thought at the end of recovery for a healthy person is revenge or for the same fate to the perp, you honestly just want them to realise what they (the àss holes) did internally, which they may or may never do.

    Load More Replies...
    Load More Comments
    Bernd Herbert
    Community Member
    15 hours ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    These kind of stories make me so damn angry. Pathetic losers that don't handle rejection, or have a very twisted sense of "honour". It's such a shame that women are still in most danger to be hurt or even killed by someone close to them. I don't know what kind of prison sentence the attacker got, but it's not long enough

    Ms.GB
    Community Member
    14 hours ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Well he failed because she's still beautiful and I hope that really pisses him off.

    Load More Replies...
    Upstaged75
    Community Member
    17 hours ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I watched her documentary and the poor woman has been through a lot. Personally I think if you are charged with an acid attack your victim should have the right to throw acid on YOU!

    PeepPeep the duck
    Community Member
    4 hours ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    i know it’s slightly different but I was set on fire with petrol by an áss hole, I would NEVER wish it on him or anyone else and she would 1000% feel the same. Throughout learning to walk and eat again and getting your life back, the last thought at the end of recovery for a healthy person is revenge or for the same fate to the perp, you honestly just want them to realise what they (the àss holes) did internally, which they may or may never do.

    Load More Replies...
    Load More Comments
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