Shockingly, Jewel’s blindness is self-inflicted - when she was 21, she ruined her sight by pouring drain cleaner in her eyes.
Jewel, who suffers from Body Integrity Identity Disorder (BIID) - a rare condition where people want to be disabled – believes she should have been born blind.
Before she took her own sight she’d pretend to be blind, wearing dark glasses, using a white cane and becoming fluent in Braille by the age of 20.
Now 30, she insists being blind has made her complete.
Jewel – who lives in North Carolina, America and is studying for a degree in education - says: “Being blind fulfills a deep need within me.
"When I had my sight I didn’t feel right. I feel bad for people who’re blind and aren’t happy, but this is what I want.”
Jewel says she can’t remember a time when she didn’t want to be blind.
“Even as a toddler, my mum would find me walking around in the dark.
"And when I was six I remember her telling me not to stare at the sun because it would damage my eyes. After that I'd do it constantly, hoping I’d lose my vision.”
To read more of Jewel's shocking story - get your copy of Closer magazine, out now