When Ella Procter first noticed blurred vision in her left eye, she thought she might need stronger glasses. But within days, she’d lost all vision in her eye and was preparing for an emergency operation.
“When I went to the optometrist, I saw his face drop,” recalls Ella, who was just 17 at the time.
“He said, ‘You have a retinal detachment and need surgery within 48 hours or you’ll lose your vision.’”
Completely shocked, Ella went straight to Palmerston North Hospital where, after a series of pre-surgery tests, she was dealt the next blow.
“There were about six doctors and nurses that saw me that day. They sat down and said, ‘You do have a retinal detachment, but you’ve also got a cancerous tumour. You need to prepare for your eye to be removed.’”
Ella’s first thought was, “I don’t want to die.”
With so much on the line, Ella, her parents Hayley and Matt, and her brother Joel travelled to Auckland to see another specialist, where she says they were told it wasn’t cancer but instead a bleed in her eye that was showing up on the scans. The plan was to go back in six weeks for another scan to reassess.
Delighted to not have cancer, Ella says, “We celebrated with a glass of Champagne at the airport.”
But just 10 days later, she woke up in excruciating pain.
“It felt like someone was stabbing me in the eye with a knife.”
A devastating diagnosis
Rushed back to hospital, the decision was made to operate and remove her eye immediately. At the time, Ella and her family still believed she was cancer- free, but during surgery it all changed.
“The entire eye was full of a 23mm tumour just 2mm away from the optic nerve,” explains Ella.
The final diagnosis was uveal melanoma, a rare cancer that starts in the middle layer of the eye.
“I was told it was extremely serious and that if it had continued to grow or spread, it could have become life-threatening.”
After surgery, doctors compared the initial scans taken in Palmerston North with the ones taken in Auckland and realised there had been no bleed at the first scan, but by the second one, the bleed was blocking the tumour, which led to the differing diagnoses.
Six weeks of radiation followed. Ella was to have a prosthetic eye fitted afterwards, but unexpectedly her eye socket has continued to shrink, despite multiple surgeries to try and reconstruct it, so for now it isn’t possible. It’s been a confronting experience.
“At first, I hated looking at myself in the mirror because it wasn’t the Ella I knew and it was so hard to see that.”
But now, three years after her first surgery, Ella, now 20, has fully accepted this new version of herself, redefined what beauty means to her and shares her journey with others online.
The wish that gave Ella hope
The unwavering love of her family and dog Tui was pivotal in the process, as was the little boy she’s a nanny for.
“He never saw me as anything different,” smiles Ella.
“Hearing people say, ‘You’re still Ella. You’re still my daughter,’ or, ‘You’re still my sister,’ was really helpful. That and having a routine with small acts of self-care.”
In July 2025, Ella became a Make-A-Wish New Zealand recipient. At first, she told the charitable organisation to give her wish to another child, but it was clear to everyone that Ella deserved a little magic too.
An aspiring hairdresser at the time, she wished for tools and products.
“I thought hairdressing was a way I could make others feel beautiful too,” shares Ella, who also received a professional photoshoot.
“Make-A-Wish changed my life, that’s for sure… It gave me hope.”
Turning pain into purpose
Ella was asked to speak at the Make-A-Wish Power of a Wish luncheon this May. Receiving a standing ovation, she truly understood how her story could encourage others to fully embrace themselves. It’s also inspired her to dream of a career in public speaking.
“It was a full-circle moment to go from a child scared and alone to having an amazing wish, to then speaking at a conference and inspiring others to donate.”
Ella is still recovering and there are more surgeries to come. But she’s also excited to share her story, looking for more speaking opportunities and working toward publishing the children’s book she’s written about finding beauty in being different.
“It has taken a while to get to this stage,” she admits.
“But I’m going to take something like cancer that could have ruined my life and turn it into something positive to help people.”
To find out more or to donate, visit makeawishnz.donorsupport.co
Follow Ella on Instagram at livinglifewithella_
