Get Involved

Bianca Beach:
Living with glaucoma is terrifying, like any chronic medical disease. My name is Bianca Beach and I am 24 years old. I’ve been performing theatrically for 17, almost 18 years now. I find strength in the trauma that my eyes have endured. It gives me a voice on a stage.

Gary Sirak:
My name’s Gary Sirak. I live in Canton, Ohio. When I was first diagnosed, I was in my twenties. I didn’t really understand the future. I just did drops, and things were fine, and then all of a sudden they weren’t fine.

Bianca Beach:
So, when I was 11, I had my first of six eye surgeries. And as an 11 going into 12-year-old, having six surgeries in the span of a year and a half completely halted me and my family’s life. Me and my family lived in a dark house for months at a time.

Gary Sirak:
Eventually, my left eye completely is gone. Well, my right eye also compromised heavily and I’m down to about 30%. Putting my keys down was probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my entire life, and I’ve done some pretty hard things.

Bianca Beach:
It’s easy to think that as a patient I would be weak or I would be unable or prohibited from doing things. It’s really important to flip that on its head and say, “You are strong. You are capable.”

Gary Sirak:
The doctor that told me I was going blind was just very matter of fact. I’m sitting in the chair. He said, “Yeah, you’ll be blind.” Anything in my power I can do to stop that, I’m going to stop that.
And quite frankly, that’s how the Glaucoma Research Foundation came into play in my world. They’re the only people that I have found that actually are trying to help restore my vision. That really registered with me in a very positive way, to the point where I pulled out my checkbook, “I’m willing to fund you.”

Bianca Beach:
Glaucoma Research Foundation is truly a community. What really makes them stand out is the team.

Gary Sirak:
The Glaucoma Research Foundation, for me, it’s the brain power, it’s the brain trust that’s looking for a solution to a problem that I’ve had for my whole life without a solution. They need to see their mission to completion because that mission changes my life and 70 million other people. That’s a pretty big calling in the world.

Bianca Beach:
It’s really important for doctors and industry professionals to know when creating new treatments and offering treatments to patients, what the backside of those treatments is going to look like in everyday life. My hope for the future is finding a cure. I think everybody says that, but it’s very true. And I hope that everybody can find within themselves what makes them happy, what makes them see the light, regardless of how dark their vision may be.

Gary Sirak:
I just am not willing to quit. I still play golf, and I’m actually fairly respectable for a guy who can’t see anything. You just don’t give up, I don’t.

End transcript.