For some people, advocating for glaucoma awareness and supporting those with the condition is driven by personal experience – many become inspired after seeing a loved one experience glaucoma or being diagnosed themselves. For others, getting involved in Glaucoma New Zealand comes from wanting to make a difference in any way they can. Troy and Stephanie Cassidy are some of those Kiwis.
Troy and Stephanie have been regular donors to Glaucoma New Zealand for several years now. At their two optometrist clinics – Cassidy Eyecare in New Lynn and Te Atatū – they not only help spread the word about glaucoma but also raise invaluable funds that help us do the work we do.
The couple has owned their clinics for over a decade now, celebrating 10 years in business this April. West Auckland born and bred, Stephanie and Troy worked in the optical industries of Australia and the UK before deciding to bring their skills home. With almost 30 years of experience between them in the eye health field, they’ve certainly seen their fair share of eye conditions over the years.
Troy and Stephanie have been involved with Glaucoma New Zealand for some time now. They attend our conferences for eye health professionals and regularly complete the online courses we run for professionals to stay up to date on the latest developments in glaucoma.
After working a lot with glaucoma in their practices and becoming more familiar with the ins and outs of the condition, they wanted to do their little bit to give something back to those battling glaucoma in New Zealand.
“We know how debilitating glaucoma can be, so wanted to try and contribute in our own way,” says Troy.
For every frame purchased at either of Cassidy Eyecare’s two centres, the team donate $2 to Glaucoma New Zealand. Their contributions every month enable us to provide our free resources, organise our patient and professional symposiums, run our support groups and free support phone line, and spread awareness about glaucoma.
“We find that many people are somewhat aware of glaucoma, but are sketchy on what it actually means and what the condition involves,” says Troy. “Glaucoma doesn’t have any obvious symptoms for a long time, and the only way for people to head it off is to get their eyes tested.”
“It’s nice to donate to a neutral body that has no commercial interest at all – Glaucoma New Zealand operates from a purely public health perspective and want to spread the word about glaucoma,” says Troy. “We also prefer to donate to a New Zealand charity so that our contributions stay in the country and help out locals.”
We’d like to thank Troy and Stephanie, as well as the whole team at Cassidy Eyecare, for their invaluable support of Glaucoma New Zealand over the years. It’s great to have so many allies with us in our fight to save Kiwis’ sight from glaucoma. It’s often the small, consistent contributions that can make the biggest difference. Here’s to Troy and Stephanie!