Lucy Devine
A toddler was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer after his mum spotted something unusual on a photograph she had taken of him while on holiday.
Victoria Walsh, 33, was on holiday in Tenerife in May last year when she noticed something different about her two-year-old son, George.
She took out her phone to take a photograph of the problem, and was alarmed by what she saw.
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Victoria had noticed an 'odd white circle' on her son's eye and was recommended by her friend - an optician - to return to the UK as soon as possible.
Six days into the 10-day holiday and the family returned home, where they were seen by an optician who referred them to Birmingham Children's Hospital.
An ultrasound scan was able to diagnose George as having retinoblastoma, a rare form of eye cancer.
Sadly, medics could not save George's eyesight but quickly started a course of chemotherapy to prevent it spreading.
George is currently undergoing treatment and Victoria is remaining positive for the future.
“Going back through old photos I noticed the glint when he was just three months old, if I had known then, I could have saved his eyesight," said Victoria.
‘’I do feel guilty - I could have spotted it sooner. But it wasn't until spoke to my optician friend did I what to look for.
"I'm really hoping to raise awareness so other mum's don't have to go through this.
“We'd seen a funny glare in his eye with the naked eye and so I asked my mum about it and she asked if it was bright, I said I don’t think so and she recommended I take a photo in the dark with flash on.
“My mum recognised it as something bad because she had a friend who lost an eye to cancer.
"He had no other symptoms at all, which made it even stranger."
Once the cancer had been diagnosed, doctors set about making a treatment plan.
It was decided that George would undergo a risky intra-arterial chemotherapy through the eye cavity.
Victoria said: ‘’The possibility of him having a stroke was real, they had to have a stroke team on hand in case anything went wrong, it’s a major surgery.
"It went on for about 40 minutes. We literally sat waiting in the ward, constantly clock watching worried and waiting for news about the operation.
“George was oblivious - he was two he didn't have a clue what was going on.
"He was monitored every 15 minutes for two nights and then able to go home and continued taking painkillers to help with the pain."
George's treatment is ongoing and while he has been able to keep his eye, if the tumour grows or changes, he may have to have it removed.
“It’s been quite a whirlwind, it’s a shock but I’m a mum on a mission to get it sorted, to be strong for George," said Victoria. “He gets on okay; he has night terrors; he goes under every four weeks, and I think that’s a side effect of the anaesthesia.
“He says his eye's quite sore, he’s on pain relief as and when he needs it, but otherwise he’s a strong little boy, he gets on with it."
Victoria wants to warn other parents to take extra care, especially if they notice anything unusual.
“Go get it checked, you better be safe than sorry, take a photo with a flash every so often with your newborns.
‘’If there’s a difference in the eyes get it checked, just in case.’’