Cheshire toddler diagnosed with rare condition after developing …
A Warrington mum uncovered a rare condition in her toddler after a strange glare appeared in the boy’s eye. George Walsh, 2, was on a family holiday in Tenerife when his parents noticed the glare, which mum Victoria described as being orange in colour.
Victoria’s mum suggested taking flash photos of little George and said if the glare was white, it could be a sign of rare eye cancer called retinoblastoma.
“We were on holiday and I had been noticing an orange glare in the naked eye, face to face,” Victoria told the Liverpool Echo[1]. “I said to my mum ‘I keep seeing this glare in his eye do you think it is anything to worry about?’
READ: Lorry driver in hospital after ‘serious crash’ with bridge in Audlem[2] | The 62-year-old driver remains in Leighton Hospital
READ: Man, 85, dies after being hit by multiple cars on A50 in Cheshire[3] | The pedestrian, an 85-year-old local man, was pronounced dead at the scene
“My mum said ‘it is not white is it?’ and I said I didn’t know. She said ‘take a picture with the flash on’. She only knew this because my auntie’s, best friend’s niece had retinoblastoma and she lost her eye.
“I started taking photographs and they showed white,” Victoria said, adding, “Then you obviously Google – the worst thing you can do – and the next day my husband saw it while he was travelling down in a lift. He saw a white glare in George’s eye.”
George Walsh, aged two, from Warrington (Image: Family handout)
The following day, George’s parents decided to get a flight home, and the toddler was referred to Birmingham Children’s Hospital, where it was confirmed George had retinoblastoma.
Victoria said: “All within a week we found it and then [George was] diagnosed. They were absolutely brilliant, hats off to the NHS.
She added: “It was huge shock, scary and you wish it wasn’t them. But we were glad we found it and could treat it and hopefully he will be able to keep his eye.”
George Walsh, two, during treatment (Image: Family handout)
George had three rounds of localised chemotherapy. The toddler has lost the vision in his eye but doctors are now trying to preserve it.
The two-year-old now has to have laser into his eye every four weeks, which could carry on for two years. George will also need regular scans when he is older to make sure the tumour is not changing or active.
Victoria described her son as “brilliant” and “a little trooper”.
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References
- ^ told the Liverpool Echo (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
- ^ Lorry driver in hospital after ‘serious crash’ with bridge in Audlem (www.cheshire-live.co.uk)
- ^ Man, 85, dies after being hit by multiple cars on A50 in Cheshire (www.cheshire-live.co.uk)
- ^ Sign up for CheshireLive email direct to your inbox here (www.cheshire-live.co.uk)