Oct 1, 2026

Brianna’s Story: Taking Action

Brianna turned a deeply personal experience with vision loss into action by becoming a fundraiser for Fighting Blindness Canada. By taking on the Toronto Waterfront Half Marathon, she’s raising funds to support vision research and helping to create better treatments and outcomes for others. Want to start your own fundraiser? Visit Sight Savers.

A few weeks later, everything changed again. I ended up in hospital, paralyzed on one side of my body and unable to walk or run. Between the medications for my eyes and the uncertainty around what was happening with my nervous system, it was one of the most frightening and difficult periods of my life.

So much changed in such a short time. Running had always been a huge part of my life, and suddenly I couldn’t do it. I made myself a promise: as soon as I was well enough, I was going to travel and experience as much as I could.

That’s exactly what I did.

While I was away, though, I began experiencing new problems with my vision. When I returned home, I was diagnosed with optic neuritis. I also learned that the earlier inflammation caused by my uveitis had left permanent damage.

Perhaps the hardest thing to hear was that this wasn’t necessarily a one-time experience. I may continue to have inflammatory flares, and each one can put my vision at risk.

Before all of this happened, I never realized how much I took my sight for granted. My experience has made me much more aware of how many people live with vision loss and how important it is to recognize changes in your vision and seek care quickly. I was fortunate to receive early treatment. Without it, the permanent damage to my vision could have been much greater.

Today, I’m running again — and training for the Chicago Marathon.

That made choosing Fighting Blindness Canada as the charity I wanted to support through the Toronto Waterfront Half Marathon feel incredibly personal. Returning to this event after everything that has happened feels like a full-circle moment.

I’m incredibly grateful for the vision I have today, but this experience opened my eyes to the reality that not everyone facing vision loss has the same outcome. That’s why supporting research that can lead to better treatments and better outcomes means so much to me.

Running and fundraising for Fighting Blindness Canada gives me a way to turn a very difficult chapter of my life into something positive. If my experience can help raise awareness, support research and contribute to a future where more people can protect their sight, every kilometre will be worth it.