By Sara Yuan
Diagnosed with glaucoma in his late 30s, Stuart Murray has spent the past three decades turning his experience into advocacy, helping others to navigate the same journey.
Glaucoma is a progressive eye disease that damages the optic nerve and may lead to vision loss and blindness for some individuals.
In 1987, during a family vacation in Atlantic Canada, Stuart was swimming on a sandbar when sand got into his eye, causing a scratch. What seemed like a minor irritation led Stuart to a local physician, who examined his eye and unexpectedly told him that he might have glaucoma.
Upon returning to Ontario, Stuart visited his family doctor, but was unable to get a referral to see an ophthalmologist because he was "far too young to have glaucoma."
Glaucoma is an eye condition that is more common in older adults. In fact, it is the leading cause of irreversible blindness for people over the age of 60.
It wasn't until three years later that Stuart was finally referred to Dr. Graham Trope, a former glaucoma specialist at UHN's Donald K. Johnson Eye Institute (DKJEI).
Stuart was diagnosed with juvenile open-angle glaucoma, a rare subset of glaucoma diagnosed in individuals under 40.
"It's devastating hearing the news, especially when I was told that the damage was rather severe, and if I didn't come in, I would be blind in six months," says Stuart.
"All I could think of at the time was about going blind and all the things I wouldn't be able to do."
March 9 to 15 is World Glaucoma Week. "See the future clearly," is the theme for 2025, which emphasizes the importance of early detection, regular eye care and community education to prevent vision loss.
For the past 35 years, Stuart has been under the care of DKJEI, where he received a few laser treatments and trabeculectomy surgeries, a standard glaucoma procedure in which a hole in the eye is created to allow drainage of fluid out of the eye, in order to reduce eye pressures.
When Dr. Trope retired in 2022, Dr. Irfan Kherani, a glaucoma and cataract specialist, took over his practice and started seeing Stuart.
Because of this condition, Stuart lost his driver's license and can no longer enjoy his favourite activity — scuba diving — as the pressure changes experienced underwater may increase the intraocular pressure (IOP), risking further damage to the optic nerve and worsening eyesight.
Vision diseases such as glaucoma can cause irreversible damage to the eyes and there is currently no cure. However, early prevention and diagnosis can help slow down or prevent vision loss.
"Glaucoma is a silent disease as it often has no symptoms in its early stages," says Dr. Kherani. "Screening for the development of glaucoma is of paramount importance because we often don't know that it's there."
Despite living with glaucoma for over 30 years, Stuart still has parts of his vision remaining — 24 per cent in one eye, eight per cent in the other — and his vision remains relatively stable.
Having experienced glaucoma firsthand, Stuart transformed his journey into advocacy.
Starting as a volunteer delivering brochures to ophthalmologist offices, Stuart is now a member of the Board of Directors for the Glaucoma Research Society of Canada (GRSC), helping to raise awareness on glaucoma, speaking at conferences, connecting with patients who also live with the condition, and supporting fundraising efforts.
"I have two kids, and glaucoma is a genetic disease," says Stuart. "So, if there's some way to contribute to finding a solution, I'd certainly do it."
Founded by Dr. Trope, GRSC is the only Canadian charity solely dedicated to funding glaucoma research. Since 1989, it has raised more than $6 million in support of 319 research projects.
Research plays a critical role in advancing diagnostics and developing novel and more effective treatments for glaucoma.
"It's an exciting time for glaucoma research," says Dr. Kherani. "We can now intervene in glaucoma earlier and safer.
"Now, we have more options that we can consider, so the opportunity to treat the disease in its earlier form is a bit more prominent now."
