Demi’s uveitis story at 4 years old:
Demi’s uveitis story as an adult:
My Journey Across the Slit Lamp When asked to write an update on my story, I thought, where do I even begin? My story is one filled with many emotions, but looking at where I stand today, gratitude supersedes them all. I will start with the present time. I have shared my story innumerable times, but this time it has officially come full circle. In just a few short weeks, I will be stepping into my very first attending position as a fellowship-trained uveitis specialist. Throughout my many years of schooling and training—from college to medical school, residency, and finally fellowship—I faced a predictable series of questions: Why medicine? Why ophthalmology? Most of all, why uveitis?
Uveitis is an incredibly niche subspecialty. To many medical trainees, it is an absolute mystery—a complex, frustrating corner of ophthalmology that many prefer to avoid. However for me, uveitis wasn’t a rare textbook chapter I discovered in medical school. Instead, it was a word incorporated into my preschooler vocabulary alongside eye drops, eye doctor and eyesight. At four years old, I was diagnosed with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) associated uveitis. That diagnosis was life-changing in every sense of the word. It brought a heavy cloud of uncertainty into my childhood, but it also motivated me to pursue the most meaningful career I could ever dream of. Even now, twenty-seven years later, on my toughest days as a physician and surgeon, I quickly remind myself of that terrified four-year-old girl sitting at the slit lamp much too tall for me, gripping the handles, waiting for news from Dr. Foster. Today, in a twist of fates, that frightened little girl has grown up to become the news-bearer.
During my fellowship, I experienced a profound shift in perspective. Despite my previous agreement with the idea that I was “lucky” to still have my sight, it was proven that luck had very little to do with it. Rather, my outcome is the direct result of pure dedication, fierce advocacy, and relentless perseverance on behalf of Dr. Foster and my parents. I can say now with unfortunate confidence that my outcome at the time was a rarity.
I was diagnosed during an era when steroid-sparing therapy was not yet the mainstay of treatment. Despite the standard protocols of the time, I was treated “aggressively” with methotrexate and because of that decisive medical intervention, I have achieved what many thought impossible: 20 years of continuous, drug-free remission without the development of secondary glaucoma or cataracts and with perfect 20/20 vision that allows me to manage uveitis patients, practice surgery, and maintain a fulfilling career in ophthalmology. This outcome allows me to lead what most would call a “normal” life. I can drive, I can read, I can travel, I can see. I always place the word “normal” in quotation marks when describing my life because my lived experiences as both patient and physician have shaped how I perceive the world around me. I am constantly reminded of the privilege of sight and consequently, there is not a single day that goes by that I am not captivated by the colors of the sunset or the vastness of the landscape or the wagging of my dog’s tail or the smile on my patient’s face when they too can see again.
I am filled with a deep, humbling sense of gratitude for my ability to uphold the legacy of my hero, Dr. Foster. He didn’t just save my vision; he shaped my entire life. To transition from being his patient to becoming his colleague in this niche field is an honor I cannot put into words. I carry his standard of care, his clinical courage, and his dedication with me always. I am stepping into my career not just to practice medicine, but to pay forward the miracle of sight that he gave to me.
Demi Miller 2026
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