A British woman discovered that her one-year-old son had cancer after taking him to the hospital due to a glow that appeared in his eye when she photographed him. The child was diagnosed with retinoblastoma— a rare type of eye cancer— after undergoing several tests, and he has now lost sight in his left eye due to a tumor that doctors are trying to shrink with chemotherapy.
The mother first noticed the glow in her son's pupil in August, but she thought it was just a reflection of light. However, by October, it became more pronounced, resembling a "cat's eye," prompting the child's parents to seek medical advice.
A photograph of Julian showed a faint white reflection in his eye when taken three months earlier using a flash, with a distinct circular glow covering the pupil. Leoni, from Hebburn, Tyne and Wear, said, "That happy, smiling photo hides a secret that could be fatal if not discovered in time."
After months of suffering, 33-year-old mother Leoni is now urging parents to pay attention to this glow, as awareness of this warning sign can save a child's vision and ultimately their life. Leoni adds, "If you see anything unusual in your child's eye, you need to get it checked out. If you notice something in a friend's child's eye or see an abnormal image on Facebook, don't hesitate to alert the child's parents."
Despite the harsh experience Julian has gone through, social worker Leoni notes that her child remains a happy boy, which is evident in his ever-present smile, according to the British newspaper, The Mirror.
