A mother who noticed a white glow in her baby's eye discovered it was a sign of retinoblastoma, a rare form of eye cancer. Olivia Hannaford, 30, from Liverpool, first noticed her son Oliver's right eye was not focusing like his left when he was four and a half months old.
After several tests, Oliver was diagnosed with retinoblastoma and underwent four rounds of intra-arterial chemotherapy, where drugs are delivered directly into the artery supplying the eye, alongside laser treatment. More than a year on, Oliver, now one, has completed his final round of chemotherapy and will undergo one final laser treatment before an examination under anaesthetic (EUA) to see how the tumour has responded.
Noticing the signs
Olivia, a former beautician, said: "When Oliver was around four and a half months old, I noticed his right eye wasn’t focusing the same as his left. I only noticed this at certain times of the day - early in the morning, not long after waking up, or when he was starting to become tired. I just thought that with him being four and a half months old, his eyes were just adjusting."
She added: "But when it kept happening, I thought he would need some glasses to correct the slight turn in his eye. His dad and I had never heard of retinoblastoma before; we didn't know you could get tumours in the eye."
Olivia contacted the health visitor, who said she did not think it was anything urgent but would put Oliver through for a referral. However, on July 10, 2025, Olivia noticed the glow in her son's eye and rang her partner Thomas Furnival, 29.
Diagnosis and treatment
Olivia called Alder Hey Hospital, where a specialist asked her to send photos over to the team. She immediately got a call back and was asked to bring Oliver in that same day. During a sight test, the ophthalmologist asked Olivia to place her hand over Oliver’s right eye, and he was still following all the lights, flashing cards and black and white lines perfectly. But when she placed her hand over his left eye, he became distressed, shaking his head and trying to move her hand.
Doctors told Olivia and Tom that they suspected Oliver had retinoblastoma and that it was treatable with chemotherapy. Oliver was then transferred to Birmingham Women's and Children's Hospital, where the diagnosis was confirmed. Olivia recalled: "The doctor came in and asked us to explain what we had been noticing with Oliver’s eye. After we had finished explaining, the doctor said, ‘I’m so sorry to be the one to tell you this, but your son has suspected retinoblastoma.’ Tom and I probably just stared, confused."
A week after his diagnosis was confirmed, Oliver started four rounds of intra-arterial chemotherapy alongside ongoing laser treatment. His chemotherapy ended on October 27, 2025, and he is about to undergo his final laser treatment. He will need to have an EUA every six weeks to monitor his condition.
A year on
Despite everything, Olivia said Oliver is "thriving". She added: "We can honestly say a year on from his diagnosis, life is as perfect as we’d planned from the second we found out we were pregnant. Oliver really is the funniest baby, he’s obsessed with flowers at the minute and smelling them, with the funniest little scrunch face when doing so."
The Childhood Eye Cancer Trust is urging parents and healthcare professionals to be aware of the most common possible symptoms of eye cancer – a white glow in the eye, which may appear in a flash photo or in certain lighting, and a squint. The trust's Richard added: "Oliver’s story shows the importance of retinoblastoma awareness among health professionals. We are grateful that Oliver’s diagnosis was confirmed and that he was able to receive treatment. If you’re worried that your child may have retinoblastoma, please take them to a GP or optician as soon as possible."
