A mother has revealed the worryingly subtle sign that her five-year-old daughter had eye cancer.
Elise Seal, from Birmingham, noticed Esmae’s right eye had turned from its usual green and brown colour to a dark brown while they were on holiday in June last year.
But it was only when they returned home days later that she also noticed it had an unusual white glow.
The 25-year-old booked an appointment at the optician’s for her three-year-old son, who was referred for further tests and check-ups.
Scans showed he had retinoblastoma, a rare type of eye cancer, which is diagnosed in only 44 children in the UK and 300 in the US each year.
Elise Seal, from Birmingham, noticed Esmae’s right eye had turned from its usual green and brown colour to a dark brown while they were on holiday in June last year.
But it was only when they returned home days later that she also noticed he had an unusual white glow. The 25-year-old made an appointment with the optician for her three-year-old son, who was referred for further tests and check-ups.
Esmae, a “sassy little princess”, has now undergone surgery to remove her eye and six rounds of chemotherapy, but is thankfully in remission.
Recalling her harrowing experience, Ms Seal said: “If you look at her now, you wouldn’t think she had been through anything so serious.
“Esmae is always doing something. She’s outgoing, she’s an amazing kid.”
After spotting her eyes changing colour on the Costa Brava, Spain, Ms Seal and her partner Callum Bissett, 26, noticed they were also bloodshot and put it down to chlorine.
She added: ‘We got home four days later and Esmae was at her grandmother’s house.
“Her grandmother said her eye looked strange. When I went to check on her, the sun was shining in her eye and I noticed a white glow in her pupils.”
The optician referred her to the Birmingham and Midland Eye Centre, where, Ms Seal said, she was asked if there was a history of eye cancer in her family.
“At that moment I knew things were really bad,” he added.
Esmae was transferred back to Birmingham Women’s and Children’s Hospital and just two days later was diagnosed with retinoblastoma.
After seeing his eye colour change on the Costa Brava, Spain, Ms Seal and her partner Callum Bissett, 26, noticed he was also bloodshot and put it down to chlorine.
Esmae, a “sassy little princess”, has now undergone surgery to remove her eye and six rounds of chemotherapy, but is thankfully in remission.
In stage E, the tumor spreads near the front of the eye, bleeds or causes high pressure inside the eye, meaning there is almost no chance of saving the eye. Esmae, five, with her little sister
“They took us into a side room with scarves and a couch. I knew right then,” Seal said.
“They sat us down and told us I had retinoblastoma and it was stage E.”
In stage E, the tumor spreads near the front of the eye, bleeds, or causes high pressure inside the eye, meaning there is almost no chance of saving the eye.
“They discussed that the only treatment they could offer was an enucleation (removal of the eye) as the tumour was so severe,” Seal added.
Every year, between 40 and 50 young people in the UK and between 200 and 300 in the US are diagnosed with retinoblastoma, a disease that usually affects babies and children under six years of age.
Retinoblastoma occurs when cells in the retina of the eye, which are supposed to grow very quickly and then stop growing during a baby’s early development, continue to grow and form a cancer.
When the tumor forms, light reflects off the white surface of the cancer, causing the child’s dilated pupil to appear white in flash or dimly lit photographs.
Its symptoms include an unusual white reflection in the pupil, strabismus, red or swollen eye, and poor vision.
About 98 percent of children survive retinoblastoma.
But the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust (CHECT) says early detection is crucial to saving sight and lives.
Esmae had her right eye removed at the end of July, but just a month later, in August, she received another devastating blow.
Retinoblastoma occurs when cells in the retina of the eye, which are supposed to grow very quickly and then stop growing during a baby’s early development, continue to grow and form a cancer.
Esmae had her right eye removed at the end of July, but just a month later, in August, she was dealt another devastating blow. Doctors had discovered cancer cells in her optic nerve during a biopsy after her eye was removed.
Doctors discovered cancer cells in her optic nerve during a biopsy performed after her eye was removed.
Ms Seal said: ‘Because of this, she had to undergo six rounds of intensive chemotherapy.
‘Callum and I were heartbroken.
‘They went through all the side effects of chemotherapy and we were both very scared.
They even mentioned that she would have trouble having babies in the future, so they offered to remove one of Esmae’s ovaries and freeze her eggs for when she is older.
“We couldn’t believe that our little girl would have to go through even more terrifying things.”
Esmae began chemotherapy that month, which ended in December, and also had her ovary removed in the fall.
After finishing During chemotherapy, “we were all dancing and clapping,” Ms. Seal added.
“It was a huge weight off our shoulders to know that our little girl had achieved something so great.”
Esmae, who turned five earlier this month, has now also started full-time school.
Esmae began chemotherapy that month, which ended in December, and also had one ovary removed in the fall. Pictured here is Esmae on her fifth birthday.
Ms Seal said: ‘She will have an MRI scan every three months for the first year to check everything.
‘She is a happy, healthy and beautiful five-year-old girl.
‘She is now back in school full-time and enjoying the things she couldn’t do while undergoing chemotherapy.
“I am very proud that she is my daughter.”
Richard Ashton, CHECT chief executive, said: ‘Retinoblastoma is rare – around one baby or young child is diagnosed in the UK every week.
‘Symptoms can be quite subtle and children often appear well, which can make diagnosis difficult.
‘In almost half of all cases, one of the child’s eyes needs to be removed as part of the treatment.
‘We are grateful that in Esmae’s case, her symptoms were recognized so she could receive treatment.
‘If you are concerned that a child you know may have retinoblastoma, take them to be examined by a GP or optician as soon as possible.’