Stepping into the media spotlight himself, well-known TV news journalist Patrick Gower dug deep and shared his own personal battle with glaucoma in support of Glaucoma New Zealand’s (GNZ’s) 2018 July appeal, ‘Light up Glaucoma’.

In several media stories and his own YouTube video, Gower told New Zealanders how shocked he was when he was diagnosed with pigmentary glaucoma during a routine eye exam one year ago. “I couldn’t believe it. At age 40, you don’t think you could go blind. It was pretty frightening.”

GNZ chair and well-known champion of glaucoma awareness, Professor Helen Danesh-Meyer, said the charity was honoured to have Patrick Gower as an ambassador.

When diagnosed, and quickly understanding how lucky he was to have picked up his glaucoma early, Gower asked his ophthalmologist what he could do to help promote awareness about glaucoma and how he could assist GNZ, said Prof Danesh-Meyer.

“Patrick is highly respected by New Zealanders and the impact of someone like him working to promote the mission of GNZ - to prevent blindness from glaucoma - is immense. His energy and passion for GNZ is extraordinary and he is committed to sharing his experience in the hope that increased public awareness will help prevent blindness.”

Gower’s regular check-ups were due to a previous detached retina. “Thanks to that bad luck with my eyes, it meant I was more vigilant about my eye health and so my glaucoma was picked up at the earliest possible point.” he said.

After diagnosis, Gower immediately underwent laser surgery on both eyes. The surgery relieved the pressure but he still has to use eye drops, twice a day, for the rest of his life to keep pressures down. But the treatment has successfully halted the disease’s progression and he has no problems with his sight as a result, he said.

The Light up Glaucoma appeal is GNZ’s major, annual fund raiser. At the appeal’s start, the charity had received support from more than 120 optometrists, practices and pharmacies, who had all pledged support to help build glaucoma awareness to prevent more Kiwis going blind from glaucoma.