Health-conscious father-of-two Shannon Davis sadly now understands why glaucoma is commonly referred to as a silent thief of sight.

With no known family history of glaucoma and the only one in his family without prescription spectacles, 45-year- old Shannon had his eyes checked after wondering why he wouldn’t need them when most of his friends and family wore them. The check-up revealed that he was legally blind.

Here Shannon shares his personal story.

I am a 45-year-old, dad and was recently diagnosed with very advanced glaucoma. It was a huge shock and it’s a game changer not just for me, but also my family.  At the time my glaucoma was detected, it had already resulted in untold damage to my optic nerves and severe visual field loss. It has left me legally blind, no longer able to drive and medically retired from a job that I loved. 

I only went to an optometrist because I wondered why my family and friends of a similar age mostly wore glasses and I didn’t. I never had or needed prescription glasses so I always felt my eyes must be “healthy”. Little did I know that it was still possible to have a blinding eye disease lurking and causing irreversible damage to my vision.

Glaucoma is called the “silent thief of sight” for a reason: because the brain is so brilliant at filling in the blanks of your vision so you think you have full sight. You typically experience no symptoms at all as the disease gradually destroys the most important sense we have starting with your peripheral vision and working its way in. Some sufferers can wake up blind. 

The diagnosis was the biggest shock of my life. The fear of losing my remaining vision is still washing over me and is what keeps me awake at night. The realisation that my disablement is permanent, will get worse over time and there is nothing I can do to turn that around has been extremely difficult to come to grips with. My eldest son who is 4 will often ask “Dad, are your sore eyes better?” Whilst I reassure him that they are ok I know in my heart there will come a time where I am going to have to sit down and have an emotional conversation with him about the state of my vision and extremely poor prognosis. It’s bittersweet to experience my 9 month old reaching various milestones like crawling and standing, all the while knowing there are significant events in the not so distant future that I won’t be able to see.

More than ever before, we live in a health-conscious society and have information at our fingertips yet there seems to be a lack of awareness when it comes to eye health. Many of my friends who wear glasses know nothing about eye disease or the risks to their loved ones who don’t wear glasses because they aren’t having a regular eye test. It is largely through early detection that sight is saved. People like me that don’t wear glasses are falling through the cracks completely and the stakes couldn’t be higher. 

It is my belief that every adult should have an eye exam every year over age 40, even if your vision is normal. Vision loss from glaucoma can be minimised with treatment, so early detection is key.

Sadly, there is nothing that can be done to improve my vision but what can be done is raising awareness to save others from falling into this terrible situation.

HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT GLAUCOMA

Shannon’s glaucoma journey demonstrates that an individual’s eye health is not defined by whether you do or do not need prescription glasses. Regular eye checks need to be prioritised like other areas of overall health, such as dental, as loss of sight can be prevented through early detection.

Shannon’s glaucoma journey demonstrates that an individual’s eye health is not defined by whether you do or do not need prescription glasses. Regular eye checks need to be prioritised like other areas of overall health, such as dental, as loss of sight can be prevented through early detection.

Shannon hopes Glaucoma Australia’s new fundraising initiative, 7 Sights in 7 Days Challenge, will encourage Australians to place high value on their sight and be proactive with regular eye exams. The initiative involves sharing a photo of an amazing sight every day for seven days to raise funds to help end glaucoma blindness this World Glaucoma Week (6–12 March 2022).

The 7 Sights in 7 Days Challenge, part of Glaucoma Australia’s annualTreat Your Eyescampaign, is asking Australians to capture everyday moments to remind them sight is precious while raising much-needed funds for early detection programs and critical support services.

“People tend to take their overall health for granted until something goes wrong. Glaucoma and your overall visual health are not a trivial matter. It needs to be given greater priority in people’s health management. In Australia we are fortunate to have access to some of the best medical expertise and resources in the world, so use it! Get your eyes checked and protect your vision,” adds Shannon.

To register or find out more about Glaucoma Australia’s 7 Sights in 7 Days Challenge go to: www.sevensights.org.au