Jez Bridges: How father-of-four found out he has rare, incurable eye cancer after having no symptoms

A British father-of-four has revealed how a routine appointment uncovered a terminal eye cancer diagnosis that has spread to his liver.

Jez Bridges, 59, was attending his annual optician appointment in Staffordshire, England, in July 2025 when he was offered an optical coherence tomography (OCT) scan.

The advanced scan, which creates a detailed 3D image of the eye, allows doctors to identify issues that may not be detected during a standard check-up.

Mr Bridges’ results revealed a small mole in the eye that was later diagnosed as uveal melanoma - an aggressive and rare form of eye cancer.

In a GoFundMe campaign, Ms Bridges’ family said he was dealt another devastating blow six months after the diagnosis when he was told the cancer had spread to his liver, leaving him with less than two years to live.

“After undergoing Proton Radiotherapy treatment in September 2025, Jez and his family tried to remain hopeful,” the fundraiser’s statement reads.

“Although he knew he would eventually lose the sight in his eye, they believed the treatment had worked and life could finally begin moving forward again.

“Tragically, during his first routine MRI scan in March, Jez and his family received devastating news: the cancer had spread to his liver and is now stage 4 terminal cancer.”

The Kinver father said the diagnosis came as a shock because he had experienced no symptoms or changes to his vision or health.

“Still to this day, I have no symptoms whatsoever,” he told the BBC.

“It wouldn’t have been until I started having issues, and it’s too late then. You’re talking about three months, four months.”

Describing Mr Bridges’ as a “devoted” husband and father, his family said they are determined to raise the £200,000 (AUD$385,000) needed to access privately funded treatment to add precious time to his life.

“He is just 59, hardworking, a devoted husband to Kate, and a proud dad to their four children. Family is his entire world,” the post continued.

“Everything he does has always been for the people he loves most, and he is the kind of man who puts everyone else before himself - the steady strength his whole family depends on.

“Sadly, because there are no NHS-funded treatments the only option available is a treatment called Chemo saturation — a specialised chemotherapy delivered directly to the liver.

“While this is not a cure, it has shown promising effectiveness in controlling the disease and could give Jez something truly priceless: more time.”

According to the Cancer Council, ocular melanoma can be difficult to diagnose as it forms in the part of the eye that isn’t visible to you or others.

It doesn’t typically cause any signs and symptoms and is usually detected by an optometrist during a routine eye test.

Symptoms can include:

• Poor or blurred vision in one eye
• Loss of peripheral vision
• Brown or dark patches on the white of the eye
• A dark spot on the iris
• Small specks, wavy lines or ‘floaters’ in your vision
• Flashes in your vision
• A change in the shape of the pupil