Former "Even Stevens" star Christy Carlson Romano was hospitalized after being shot in the face during what was meant to be a celebratory clay pigeon shooting outing in Austin, Texas.
The 40-year-old actress revealed on Instagram that she organized the shooting activity on February 7 as a birthday present for her husband Brendan Rooney's 42nd birthday. The event took a terrifying turn when another party at the location "unsafely fired in the wrong direction" and struck Romano.
The actress sustained injuries in five different places on her face, with one impact point less than an inch from directly hitting her right eye. While Romano can currently see normally, doctors are closely monitoring her condition as a fragment remains lodged behind her eye, deemed too risky to remove surgically at this time.
Her husband Brendan Rooney immediately rushed her to St. David's South Austin Medical Center, where she received emergency treatment. Romano expressed deep gratitude toward the first responders and medical staff who attended to her.
"I saw my life flash before my eyes," Romano shared in her social media post, emphasizing how the incident has given her a renewed appreciation for life. The mother of two young daughters reflected on the experience, encouraging others to "hug the people around you every chance you can."
Despite the trauma, Romano maintained her sense of humor, playfully responding to her husband's heartfelt comment about her bravery by joking that "God saved me so I could tell you to clean up your empty cans around the house."
The actress continues to recover while under medical supervision, with doctors monitoring the fragment near her eye. Romano is best known for her roles in "Even Stevens" and "Kim Possible," and recently appeared in "Special Forces: World's Toughest Test."