Is Mama June Legally Blind? New Details About The 'Toddlers And Tiaras' Star's Eyesight Issues
She's only 38 years old.
instagram Fans of Here Comes Honey Boo Boo have been able to watch Alana Thompson grow up on screen, following her as she entered child beauty pageants.
But surprisingly, another star was born from the show: Honey Boo Boo’s mom, Mama June. We’ve seen her stunning weight loss, with the reality television personality shedding 150 pounds and looking like a completely different person.
But unfortunately, Mama June has been dealing with a slew of health issues over the last few years. She suffered from childhood cataracts that were never treated, leading many of us wondering: Is Mama June legally blind?
Some may remember episodes of Toddlers & Tiaras where June struggled to do Alana’s makeup for the pageants. And it’s no wonder — she couldn’t see! Alana said, “My mama better stick to couponing and stay away from the makeup table.”
Of her condition, June said in a February episode of Mama June: From Not to Hot, “My eye problems started when I was born. I was born with cataracts and nothing was ever done. I went blind in my right eye four years ago and now my good eye is really bad.”
She recalled a scary incident where she woke up in the middle of the night, unable to see anything. “I literally can’t see anything out of either one of my eyes. I can’t see anything!” she said.
Her boyfriend Geno and daughter Alana eventually rushed her to the hospital, where she had emergency eye surgery. The reason? Her retinas had detached, giving her vision problems. Her ophthalmologist told her she’d be having a scleral buckle to reattach the retina.
Even before then, in a 2013 episode of Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, the family went go-karting together to celebrate then-husband Sugar Bear’s birthday. She confessed, “I'm not going to lie to you, my eyesight was a little blurry,” after she crashed into the go-kart barrier. Mama June also does not have a driver’s license, as her vision makes it difficult.
While June seems to be enjoying the success of her show Mama June: From Not to Hot, whose second season premiered earlier this year, we hope she has her health under control. After all, she still has Honey Boo Boo to raise and with the birth of her first grandchild, she’ll need to be more alert than ever.
Samantha Maffucci is an associate editor for YourTango. In her free time, you can find her obsessing about cats, wine, and all things Vanderpump Rules.