Friday, September 4, 2015

11:20 PM
It’s just a little abnormality, but being able to recognize it can save a life.


Tina Treadwell has big plans for her son. She finds him so sweet that she takes pictures of him and sends them to a baby model agency. She is so proud that she shows her sister the photos.


But she is anything but amused. She notices that one of little Taylor’s eyes looks different than the other one. And she knows what that can mean.


The eye doctor confirms the horrible suspicion. Taylor is suffering from a retinoblastoma. This is a form of eye cancer that can develop during childhood. The symptoms are hard to see with the naked eye but are much more noticeable in pictures. The mother is shocked. All of her dreams for him as a baby model burst immediately. Now, all that is important is the fight for the 1-year-old’s life! Luckily, the little tyke gets off easy. The chemotherapy beats the cancer back, keeping it under control. Taylor will, however, remain blind in his right eye. But that is a small price for his life. “It’s so hard to believe that a photo saved his life,” says his mother today.


It wasn’t just the photo, but primarily the his aunt's knowledge that saved Taylor. This knowledge is not common enough. Here are some examples of signs that could suggest a retinoblastoma: A milky coloring of a pupil.




A dark coloring of a pupil.



A newly developed cross-eye



Swelling that isn’t due to allergies or irritation (although swelling can have many other causes)



The discoloring of the iris


Do the test with a photo! Photograph your kid in a relatively dark place from at 12 feet away. The flash should be on while the red-eye reduction is turned off. If any of the above symptoms can be seen, you should take your child to an eye doctor. Only a doctor can determine definitively if there is any danger.


This photo test can be done at any time at home. All you need is a camera. But too few parents know about this. So share this knowledge; it could help save a life!