At 60, Antonio (Tony) Discenza was living the retirement dream. After more than 30 years as an elementary school teacher, he filled his days golfing, curling, gardening, cooking, and walking the trails near his Oakville home. He and his wife, Teresa, share a home with one daughter and two other children are nearby, including their son, Antony (Tony), who works at Kensington Health.

Tony (the older one, he jokingly said when we spoke) had always had relatively stable vision, aside from needing glasses and, eventually, laser eye surgery in 2012. For years afterward, a simple pair of readers did the trick. But by 2021, he started to notice small changes. Newly retired, he no longer had coverage for routine eye exams, so he paid out-of-pocket to keep tabs on his sight. At the time, any cataract development was mild.

That changed by the spring of 2024. Street signs looked smudged. Reading the dashboard became a guessing game. Jigsaw puzzles lost their joy. And on the curling rink, aiming 150 feet down the ice became a challenge. “I thought my glasses were dirty,” Tony said. “But eventually I realized I was closing one eye just to see better.”

In November, his optometrist confirmed the cataract in his left eye had progressed significantly and that he would require surgery.

Tony had already been doing his homework. His son spoke highly of the Eye Institute at Kensington Health, and a fellow curler also shared a great experience. In addition to these positive reviews, what stood out to him was Kensington’s reputation as one of Ontario’s top not-for-profit surgical centres.

“I was impressed by the whole process. So many professionals were involved, and there was such attention to detail,” he said. Because of his earlier laser surgery, Tony's case required extra measurements and planning. His surgeon, Dr. Jennifer Calafati, didn’t rush. She made sure everything was just right.

Surgery was scheduled for May 2025 and was, as Tony put it, “surprisingly fun.” The team made him feel like royalty. “Everyone from the front desk to the operating room was kind, skilled and totally professional.”

To make things even better, the results were basically immediate. “It was like someone cleaned a dirty window,” he said. “Within days, I had the best vision I’ve had in years."

He’s now back to curling, cooking, and checking golfers in at the pro shop without needing glasses. He’s even looking forward to surgery on his right eye later this year.

Tony believes people underestimate how much poor vision affects their lives. “You get used to it. But life is so much easier when you can see clearly again.”

For Tony, the journey with Kensington wasn’t just about better vision. It was a reminder of what compassionate, high-quality care can do. “They gave me back more than sight. They gave me back ease.”

To learn more about our eye care services, click here.