Posted by: Clemson Eye in News
GREENVILLE, SC (FOX Carolina) – You may think nothing of it when you see red or white flashes in a person’s eyes in a photograph, But an Illinois mother noticed a white glow in her son’s eye after taking a picture on her iPhone. It turns out, it was cancer. Doctors are saying that if you notice something similar in your child’s picture, you may want to get it checked out.
“If you see something that is a concern whether the eyes are crossed or you have an unusual picture, to make an appointment with the pediatrician,” said Donald Glaser an Ophthalmologist at Clemson Eye in Greenville.
Glaser said this cancer is called Retinoblastimo and it develops in the retina of the eye and isn’t always visible in photos.
“If it were to the side of the vision, many times the child could be completely functional with normal depth perception,” said Glaser.
He said Retinoblastoma always affects children because of the growth of the cells at a young age. But he said if you have a photo that looks like Avery Fitzgerald’s, don’t get overly anxious.
“The good news is, that almost every child nowadays can save their eye, depending on the location of the tumor,” said Glaser.
But he said that doesn’t mean this cancer isn’t highly dangerous for your child’s health, if not caught quickly. Avery Fitzgerald had to have his eye removed, and Glaser said the disease can be fatal.
“I do know of another colleague who saw one of these overseas where it had taken over the entire eye, even the area around the eye and unfortunately the child did pass away from the disease,” said Glaser.
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