Tammy Jackson, a 51-year-old mother-of-six from Swindon, faced a devastating diagnosis of incurable cancer in her right eye after experiencing a series of alarming vision issues. Despite having routine eye tests where nothing unusual was detected earlier in 2025, Ms. Jackson initially dismissed strange flashes and blurred vision, attributing them to normal aging or working with computers, until her symptoms drastically worsened. She expressed profound surprise, stating, "I never in a million years thought that you could get cancer in your eyes. And if that's what I think, maybe other people think that way as well."

The first significant symptom occurred on September 22, 2025, when Ms. Jackson, a funeral adviser, noticed a 'flash' while making tea at work. She initially suspected a fly but experienced a similar visual disturbance days later. Her vision rapidly deteriorated by September 27, when she woke up with a black dot the size of a 'five pence piece' in the center of her eye, obscuring her sight as if looking through 'smeared wet paint'.

Prompted by these severe changes, Ms. Jackson made an appointment at her local Boots Opticians. There, she was informed of swelling in her right eye, with the optician suspecting a detached retina or something 'suspicious', leading to an urgent referral to Great Western Hospital. Upon arrival, however, she learned that the hospital had not received her scans from Boots and was asked to return on Monday. During this period, Ms. Jackson's intuition kicked in, telling her, "it's cancer," a feeling she shared with her husband, Martin.

On September 29, at Great Western Hospital, further tests were conducted, with medical staff showing particular focus on her right eye. After several hours, a consultant confirmed the presence of something 'sinister' and arranged for her transfer to Moorfields Eye Hospital in London, a specialist facility. By her follow-up appointment on October 9, her condition had deteriorated further: the blind spot had expanded to the size of a '10 pence piece', accompanied by fluid leakage, increased swelling, and severe headaches.

Working in a funeral home, Ms. Jackson was acutely aware of mortality, which led her to begin planning her own funeral, including selecting songs. "It was heavy because there's a lot of cancer within my family, so I just thought my life was over," she recalled, grappling with the mental toll of the diagnosis and the fear for her future.

At Moorfields Eye Hospital, Ms. Jackson underwent approximately seven hours of extensive tests before receiving the definitive diagnosis: a small choroidal melanoma. Choroidal melanomas are a rare subset of uveal melanomas, with roughly 600–700 new cases diagnosed annually in the UK. Unlike skin melanomas, most uveal melanomas are not linked to sun exposure. Symptoms can include blurred vision, floaters, flashing lights (photopsia), or a dark spot on the iris. Ms. Jackson's cancer was assessed using the Moles Scoring Chart, a diagnostic system, where she exhibited four out of five high-risk factors (mushroom shape, orange pigment, large size, enlargement, and subretinal fluid), leading to a 'high suspicion' of cancer. The news was devastating, as she recounted, "Just hearing those words, you automatically think that's it. Your life's over." Sharing the news with her four children—Andrew (34), Joanna (33), Stewart (28), Angel (26)—and two step-children—Jordan (27), and Abi (22)—was particularly gut-wrenching.

Her treatment commenced on November 13 with ophthalmic plaque brachytherapy. This procedure involves delivering targeted radiation by surgically attaching a small radioactive disc, or plaque, over the eye. The plaque's duration depends on the cancer's thickness; due to early detection, Ms. Jackson only needed the plaque attached for a day-and-a-half. The recovery, however, was brutal, involving a swollen and blistered eye and the need to administer numerous eye drops four times daily.

Today, Ms. Jackson's prognosis is good, with a follow-up appointment scheduled for May to check the treatment's effectiveness, followed by regular checks every year or six months. While her general eye health has improved, her vision is not completely back to normal. A consultant explained that the cancer will always be present, and the only way to entirely remove it would be to have her 'eye removed', but because it was caught early, that extreme option is unlikely.

Ms. Jackson now fervently urges others to prioritize their eye health. She emphasizes, "The number one thing: If you're due an eye test, have it done. It's really not worth putting it off. It's all too easy. I've done it myself. But have the eye test done." She credits Boots Opticians for their swift action and referrals, stating that their fast response "saved my eye, but potentially also saved my life." She hopes her story will inspire at least one person to seek the help they need.