Eye to Eye: Walking for Grandad
10 February 2026
Sharon’s father became a patient at Moorfields Eye Hospital at the age of ninety after having glaucoma since his twenties. Inspired by the care he received, Sharon and her family decided to give back by taking part in Eye to Eye, our annual fundraising walk.
Sharon’s father found living with glaucoma challenging at first, but over time he adapted as best he could.
What is glaucoma?
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Glaucoma is an eye condition where damage to the optic nerve causes sight loss. It is usually caused by the pressure inside your eye rising too high.
Your eye is full of fluid, which helps it to keep its shape and function properly. If too much fluid builds up inside the eye, the pressure rises and squeezes the optic nerve at the back of the eye.
This can cause damage to your optic nerve - a bundle of over a million nerve fibres that carry signals between your eye and your brain.
Pressure might build up in the eye when:
- fluid is stopped from draining away
- extra fluid is produced after an eye injury or infection - this is called‘secondary glaucoma’
- there is an abnormality in the shape of the eye in children - this is called‘congenital glaucoma’
Glaucoma tends to develop slowly over many years. As there is currently no cure for glaucoma, treatment focuses on early diagnosis, careful monitoring and regular treatment to help prevent further sight loss.
9 in 10 people diagnosed with glaucoma today who get the treatment they need will retain useful sight for the rest of their lives
It is not currently possible to repair the optic nerve once it has been damaged, so any vision lost to glaucoma cannot be recovered. If left untreated, glaucoma can lead to blindness.
There are usually no symptoms of a rising pressure in the eye until sight loss occurs, so regular eye tests are the best way to help spot the condition early.
In 2024, he made his first visit to Moorfields Eye Hospital.
The care, expertise and accessibility he received were truly world-class.
Sharon, daughter of Moorfields patient and supporter
Fundraising for Moorfields
Sharon, her husband and 12-year-old son took part in Eye to Eye, the charity’s annual fundraising walk for the first time in 2025. They took on the 15-mile route walking through the streets of London.
Eye to Eye was a wonderful experience, and we were proud to give something back to a hospital that has given us so much. Walking for Grandad with my husband and son, meeting other walkers, the atmosphere and seeing London in this way was our highlights.
Sharon, daughter of Moorfields patient and supporter
Sharon and her family are already looking forward to Eye to Eye 2026.
