Grovedale woman spearheads eye health campaign

A Grovedale woman is encouraging Geelong residents to get their eyes checked after she came close to losing her eyesight.

Grovedale woman Jan Tonkins is leading the charge in a new campaign after her vision rapidly deterioirated in a scary incident last year. Picture: Glenn Ferguson

A GROVEDALE woman is spearheading a campaign to encourage Geelong residents to get their eyes checked after she came close to losing her eyesight.

Jan Tonkin, 71, woke up one day last September and felt like she was “looking through a steamed-up window”.

After walking her dogs at 7am, her eyesight remained foggy.

Mrs Tonkin had planned to travel to Melbourne to witness her son-in-law’s graduation later that day.

“I waited until 9am when the shops opened and went to my local optometrist, who told me I had to see someone straight away,” she said.

“By 11am, I had already seen a specialist who lasered my eyes.”

Mrs Tonkin was diagnosed with glaucoma, a disease caused by damage to the nerve connecting the eye to the brain, usually due to high pressure.

There is no cure for glaucoma, but treatments include medication, surgery and medication.

“The doctor was really surprised that I hadn’t already lost my eyesight because the pressure was so high,” she said.

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“At the time, I was more stressed about missing my son-in-law’s graduation and I didn’t realise how bad it was, or how bad it could have been.

“I nearly walked away with plans to come back another day, but I’m glad I didn’t because it could have been too late.”

Mrs Tonkin is encouraging others to get eye checks as part of the Vision Initiative, a State Government-funded program that aims to prevent avoidable blindness and address the impact of vision loss.

“I don’t have a family history of diabetes or eye problems and I’m quite fit and healthy and it still happened to me,” she said.

“You dismiss it and think it will be all right tomorrow, but it might not be.”

Mrs Tonkin urged everyone to have eye checks. “If you have any doubts or your vision feels any different, ask someone like an optometrist,” she said.

“If you can’t see suddenly, your life is changed forever.

“My children and grandchildren know I was lucky and that I can still drive and pick them up from things.”

Vision 2020 Australia CEO Judith Abbott said the message was important because people often didn’t think about eye health until it was too late.

“Around 90 per cent of blindness and vision loss is preventable or treatable if it’s ­detected early,” Ms Abbott said.

“We’re encouraging the people of Geelong, and all Victorians, to make sure they prioritise their eye health and book in for an eye test today — it could just save your sight.”

Originally published as Grovedale woman spearheads eye health campaign