A mother saved her baby daughter's life by snapping a photo just before bedtime, after a camera flash exposed a telltale symptom of a rare illness. Danielle Foggin, 30, spotted a white glow in her 14-month-old daughter Amelia's eye after taking a sweet picture of her in May last year.
Discovery and Diagnosis
The mum-of-two was left devastated when she searched online for possible causes and discovered it could be an indicator of retinoblastoma, a rare form of eye cancer that typically affects children under the age of six. Danielle rushed Amelia to her GP the very next day and was immediately referred to Darlington Memorial Hospital in North Yorkshire. Amelia was subsequently transferred to Birmingham Children's Hospital, where she received a diagnosis of Grade D retinoblastoma.
Danielle, from Eppleby, North Yorkshire, said: "I took the photo just before bed one evening and noticed her face didn't look right. I couldn't put my finger on it at first, her face just looked unusual, not like Amelia, and I couldn't figure out why. Whether it was mother's instinct or mother's intuition, I don't know but I felt something wasn't right."
Swift Medical Response
She added: "Then I began looking closer and noticed her eye so turned to Google where I discovered they could be cancer symptoms. Your mind is just racing at this point but I cannot fault how quickly everything progressed from there. We took her to the GP and the next day we were in Darlington Hospital and the day after that we were in Birmingham where consultants were waiting for us. In the space of three days we'd gone from going to the doctors to involving specialists and undergoing scans. An MRI confirmed it was cancer and I asked the doctor 'is she going to die?'"
"They told us it looked like it had been caught early and it was treatable. But of course it was just horrific as you don't think it will ever happen to you."
Surgery and Recovery
Following additional scans which confirmed the cancer remained localised to the eye without spreading, Amelia underwent an operation to have her eye removed. Danielle added: "She took everything in her stride, I think it was worse for me and Michael. To go from having a perfectly healthy girl to this was incredibly difficult. The diagnosis came only weeks after my husband and I got married and it turned our lives upside down."
"She was under general anesthetic for everything so wasn't really aware of it. We were unaware she had gone blind in that eye already, so it's not that different for her having one eye."
Following the operation and a further 13 procedures during her young life, Amelia has been declared cancer-free. Danielle said: "Luckily, the cancer hadn't spread and she is now cancer-free - the doctors said acting when we did saved her life. But if I acted sooner I might have been able to save her sight and her eye - it's quite a weight to have on you either way. We are just relieved the cancer has gone although she is still having cosmetic work done so hasn't rang her bell yet. We tried an orbital implant but that didn't work due to infections so now she has an artificial eye which is basically a big contact lens."
Life After Cancer
Amelia, now two years old, is reportedly doing "incredibly well" and adores horses, dogs, outdoor play and getting "caked in mud". Danielle is now encouraging other parents to recognise the warning signs of this rare cancer. Danielle added: "She has just been amazing and is doing really well now. She is a tough cookie. She doesn't let it impact her, and she lives a normal and happy life. I just want other mums and dads to be aware as no parent should have to go through that. I wasn't aware of the symptoms so I'd urge others to just trust their instincts if they think something isn't quite right with their child."
Warning Signs
According to Cancer Research, retinoblastoma is an uncommon form of eye cancer that develops in the retina, predominantly affecting children under five. It ranks among the rarest childhood cancers in Britain, impacting just 30 youngsters annually. Warning signs can include a white glow or white reflection in the centre of one or both eyes, or eyes that don't look in the same direction. Additional indicators include eye inflammation and redness, or involuntary side-to-side eye movements. The family are now holding a fundraising day in aid of Birmingham Children's Hospital and The Childhood Eye Cancer Trust.
