A mother from Warrington, Cheshire, has spoken out after spotting her two-year-old son's rare eye cancer in a holiday photo taken on a trip to Tenerife. Victoria Walsh, 33, noticed a “funny glare” in George’s right eye while staying at a hotel in May 2023.
Initially seeing a “white speck” in the lift mirror, Victoria took a photo with flash on her phone, which revealed an “odd white circle” in his eye. Her mother, Janet, 60, advised her to seek medical attention, and after consulting an optician friend, the family cut their ten-day holiday short and flew home.
Upon returning to the UK, they visited an optician who urgently referred George to Birmingham Children’s Hospital. Three days after an ultrasound, he was diagnosed with retinoblastoma, a rare form of eye cancer, at an advanced stage D. Medics could not save his eyesight but began chemotherapy to prevent the cancer from spreading.
George is undergoing intra-arterial chemotherapy, a risky procedure that required a stroke team on standby. Despite losing his sight, he has kept his eye, though removal may be necessary if the tumour grows. Victoria said: “It’s been a whirlwind… I’m a mum on a mission to get it sorted, to be strong for George.”
Victoria is now urging other parents to check their children’s eyes in flash photos, saying: “Go get it checked, you better be safe than sorry… If there’s a difference in the eyes get it checked, just in case.”
