At 19 years old, Sydney mechanic Jack Clement should be looking forward to building his career, travelling with friends, and enjoying life with his girlfriend.
Instead, he is facing the unimaginable – a stage four cancer diagnosis.
Jack’s story began when he was 14, sitting in class at school.
The vision in his right eye suddenly went blurry. He assumed it was something minor – an eyelash, perhaps – but within days, his sight grew worse.
‘I went to an eye hospital in the city and I was diagnosed with ocular melanoma,’ Jack told the Daily Mail.
‘The melanoma had popped my retina off.’
Radiation, injections, and laser treatment followed, and for years he lived with the effects – but little did he know, the cancer was silently spreading.
This June, Jack was sitting beside his father Edward and girlfriend Ariana when doctors delivered the news no teenager should ever hear: the cancer had spread to his liver.
At 19 years old, Sydney mechanic Jack Clement is facing the unimaginable – a stage four cancer diagnosis that has changed everything
Jack’s story began when he was 14, sitting in class at school, and noticed the vision in his right eye suddenly turn blurry
Jack was then officially diagnosed with stage four metastatic uveal melanoma.
‘The oncologist said, judging by my scans, without treatment I’d have 12 months to live, and with treatment, maybe two years,’ Jack recalled.
Uveal melanoma – also called ocular melanoma – is the most common form of eye cancer in adults, but it is still considered rare.
Unlike skin melanoma, it develops in the middle layer of the eye that produces pigment.
Doctors believe Jack’s condition may be linked to his rare eye colouring – one hazel eye, one brown – combined with years of surfing under the harsh Australian sun.
Because the cancer grows in a part of the body that can’t be seen, it often goes undetected until it causes vision problems or spreads elsewhere.
In Jack’s case, the disease spread to his liver – which happens in up to 95 per cent of patients whose ocular melanoma metastasises.
Doctors say this is because the cancer cells travel through the bloodstream, and the liver acts as a filter for blood, trapping the cancer cells there. Once it has spread, the cancer is far more difficult to treat.
Through the hardest moments, Jack’s partner Ariana has never left his side
Common early symptoms can be subtle and easy to dismiss, such as blurred vision in one eye, loss of peripheral vision, or small ‘floaters’ and flashes of light in your sight line.
Some patients notice dark patches on the white of their eye or a change in the shape of their pupil.
However, the disease is frequently picked up during a routine eye exam rather than through symptoms.
‘I was just… numb,’ Jack recalled when told about the diagnosis.
‘What else can you do? You’ve got to keep going.’
Through the hardest moments, Ariana has never left his side.
The couple have been together since school, and she has now given up her job as a preschool teacher to move in with Jack, his mother, and his little sister, Amelia.
‘Ariana’s very helpful, always looking after me, making sure I’m keeping my fluids up, eating right, sticking to my diet,’ Jack said.
‘I spend time with her every day. We walk the dog, watch television, hang out. I couldn’t ask for more.’
Jack says Amelia, just eight years old, only knows that her big brother is ‘a bit unwell’.
The family has shielded her from the full truth – a choice Jack admits is heartbreaking but necessary.
‘It’s hard for a little kid to experience something like that,’ he said.
Jack is currently on an experimental treatment indefinitely which leaves him feeling exhausted and unable to work
Jack is currently on an experimental treatment indefinitely which leaves him feeling exhausted and unable to work.
Still, he makes an effort to visit colleagues and go for walks around the block or at the beach.
‘I don’t really want to be rotting in bed,’ he said.
‘You just gotta keep active in this sort of situation.’
A strict diet has also become part of his daily fight: no sugar, no fast food, no processed meals.
Instead, he fills his plate with fresh vegetables, fruit, chicken, and red meat.
A GoFundMe has now been set up to ease the financial burden on Jack and his family.
Donations will help cover urgent medical treatments, travel, living costs, and care for the family who have put their lives on hold to spend time with Jack.
Despite the prognosis, Jack refuses to let cancer define him and is grateful for the support from his friends and family
Despite the prognosis, Jack refuses to let cancer define him.
‘My friends and my family have been more than I could ever ask for, support-wise,’ he said.
‘Everyone’s staying strong for me. I’ve just got to keep going.’
Doctors emphasise the importance of regular eye checks, even for people with no obvious problems.
Early detection can mean the difference between localised treatment and the cancer spreading throughout the body.
While uveal melanoma is more common in older adults, Jack’s story is a stark reminder that cancer doesn’t always follow the rules.
Experts say it is crucial not to ignore vision changes – no matter your age.
If you notice persistent blurriness, flashes of light, or dark spots in your vision, it’s important to book an eye test.
Optometrists can often detect signs of disease long before symptoms become severe.
Even if nothing feels wrong, routine eye checks are recommended every two years for most Australians – and more frequently for people with a family history of melanoma or those who spend long hours in the sun.
For young people especially, the message is simple: don’t dismiss eye problems as ‘just tiredness’ or a passing irritation.
Catching a condition early can mean faster treatment and better outcomes.
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