Former Disney star Christy Carlson Romano narrowly escaped permanent blindness following a 2025 clay pigeon shooting accident in Texas. The incident, which occurred during a birthday celebration, left birdshot lodged just one millimeter away from critical ocular structures.
A 250-foot shot and a millimeter from blindness
A single errant shot from 250 feet away nearly cost Christy Carlson Romano her sight during a trip to a Texas shooting range . as reported by Fox News Digital, the incident occurred while Romano was celebrating her husband Brendan Rooney's birthday. A member of the party allegedly failed to act responsibly with their firearm, firing too close to Romano and striking her in the forehead and a fat pocket beneath her eye.
The physical impact of the shooting was immediate and life-threatening. Romano described a moment of intense disorientation where her vision blurred and she feared for the safety of her daughters. This trauma led to a high-speed drive to the hospital, with Romano and Rooney travieng at 112 miles per hour to reach mdeical care.
Dr. Sean Paul’s decision to leave the birdsot in place
According to the report, oculoplastic surgeon Dr. Sean Paul determined that the birdshot had lodged in the bone behind the eye, narrowly missing the optic nerve and eye muscles. While the pellets did not penetrate the eyeball itself, Romano suffered a subconjunctival hemorrhage, which is bleeding beneath the membrane covering the white of the eye.
Medical professionals at St. David's South Austin Medical Center ultimately decided that removing the fragments posed too great a risk to her vision. Consequently, Romano will permanently carry two pieces of birdshot in her head. This decision highlights the delicate balance surgeons must strike when dealing with foreign objects lodged near critical neurological and ocular structures.
From Even Stevens to Once Upon a Trainwreck
The shooting accident serves as a central pillar in Romano's new memoir, Once Upon a Trainwreck: The Fall and Rise of a Child Star. The book explores her transition from a Disney icon in Even Stevens and Kim Possible to a mother navigating significant health anxieties. The memoir provides a window into her life after the spotlight, detailing how the accident served as a catalyst for her personal evolution.
Beyond the physical trauma, the accident has forced a reckoning with Romano's family medical history. Following the shooting, Romano and Rooney underwent cancer screenings in February 2026 due to a lineage of the disease, including the loss of her father and maternal grandmother. This intersection of sudden physical trauma and hereditary health risks has reshaped her perspective on mortality and personal purpose.
The identity of the remorseful shooter
While the shooter expressed remorse, the specific identity of the individual responsible for the discharge remains unknown. It remains unclear whether the unidentified shooter faced any legal consequences or if the Texas shooting range conducted an internal investigation into the safety breach.
Furthermore, the exact circumstances regarding the firearm's safety protocols during the birthday celebration remain unverified. the report does not clarify if any formal disciplinary measures were taken against the party responsible for the irresponsible discharge.
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