Terrified mum shares the chilling nursery snap of her toddler that saved his life – but can you spot the hidden killer?
"I've got to be honest I probably wouldn't have noticed it [without the picture]," the 39-year-old mum-of-two from Flintshire, said.
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Laura Davies says a snap of her son having fun at nursery saved his life
Credit: Kennedy News
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Sidney was diagnosed with retinoblastoma on May 19 and had to have his eye removed
Credit: Kennedy News
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Laura said her husband Tom Davies with their two sons
Credit: Kennedy News
The picture caught a strange cloudiness in two-year-old Sidney's eye, which was actually a sign of retinoblastoma, a rare
Laura said her husband Tom Davies, 39, first noticed the change in their two-year-old son Sidney's left eye in April.
"He was basically sat in his high chair opposite the French doors in our kitchen and my husband was like, 'his eye doesn't look right," she recalled.
The mum searched online for information relating to
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But when Sidney's nursery took a snap of him as he enjoyed a day in the sensory room, the camera flash revealed his
"It was almost like it was reflecting the light, it's really hard to describe. It was like his eye wasn't there, it was like a mirror," Laura said.
After a visit to her GP and Specsavers, Sidney was eventually referred to Birmingham Children's Hospital and had an ultrasound.
He was diagnosed with retinoblastoma, a cancer which starts in the retina, the inner layer in the back of the eye, on May 19.
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Doctors diagnose around 40 to 50 children with retinoblastoma in the UK every year, according to
Almost 99 to 100 out of every 100 children diagnosed survive for five years or more after they are diagnosed.
Vision Express appointment saves life of baby girl diagnosed with deadly eye cancer, retinoblastoma
"It was horrendous," the mum said. "We were so worried."
Docs decided the best course of action would be to remove the eye and brave Sidney underwent the op on 27 May.
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Initially this really concerned Laura.
"All the thoughts run through your head of how they are going to cope in school and kids are horrible and things like that.
"But I was also looking at it [the eye] and thinking, 'I just want it out' because you could literally see it [the cancer]."
She said it was "so scary" to watch their young so endure so many operations.
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"I think we went into mum and dad mode," she explained.
"You kind of just get through it.
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The picture caught a strange cloudiness in the two-year-old's eye
Credit: Kennedy News
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The tot is doing very well without his eye
Credit: Kennedy News
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"Afterwards when we found out that he was okay and he didn't need any chemotherapy then it all hit me if I'm honest.
"I burst out crying [when he got the all clear]. It was such a relief."
Sidney currently has a temporary plastic shell fitted in his eye socket called a conformer but is undergoing another operation in July to have a prosthetic eye fitted.
Laura said docs also discovered Sidney's retina was torn and had come away from the back of his eye, which can cause vision loss.
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They were not sure how long it had been since he had been able to see out of his left eye.
"I don't know whether it was bothering him before, whether it was blurry. We'll never know really," the mum said.
'A new lease of life'
The tot will have to wear protective goggles when he plays sport but other than that Laura hopes her son will be largely unaffected by the prosthetic.
"In terms of the effects on him it's been quite minimal because he's already dealt with that himself, not being able to see out of that eye," she explained.
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"He will go down the steps very carefully unlike my other son who is older and who's like a bull at a gate.
"You sort of think back and think, 'maybe that's why?' but he's a happy boy, he showed no signs of this. We didn't notice that he couldn't see out of his eye."
She added: "It's funny because people have said when they see him on the school run and things that he's got a new lease of life.
Laura's husband is taking part in a sponsored walk up and down Moel Famau, the highest hill in the Clwydian Range, 12 times in 12 hours with family and friends to raise money for Birmingham Children's hospital.
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The have launched a
The distance will be around 40 miles in total and Laura said she and their two children are planning to join him for the last summit.
Symptoms of retinoblastoma
Most children with retinoblastoma seem fine.
But two common signs that parents first notice in their child are that:
they have a white glow or white reflection in the centre of their eye (pupil) - this is also known as leukocoria
their eyes are not looking in the same direction (a squint) - also known as strabismus
The pupil might look white, like a cat's eye reflecting light. This is sometimes noticed in photos when a flash is used. The pupil appears white rather than the typical red colour.
Other less common symptoms might include:
you or the school noticing your child can't see properly
inflammation and reddening of their eye
uncontrollable movement of their eye from side to side (nystagmus)
Children do not usually complain of any pain. In very few cases, a child might be referred to a specialist children's doctor (paediatrician) because they are:
not gaining weight
developing normally
During their tests, the abnormal retinoblastoma gene usually shows up in a blood test.
Kelly Gibson, ophthalmic director at Specsavers Broughton Park, said: "We're incredibly grateful that Laura attended with her son, Sidney, to see us after being alerted by a concern from his nursery.
"It's reassuring to know that I was able to ensure he received the urgent care he needed.
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"We're relieved that his condition was caught early, and he received treatment in a timely manner.
"Stories like this are a powerful reminder of how important it is to attend for an eye examination if you ever notice a change or feel that something isn't quite right with your eyes.
"It also highlights the importance of eye examinations for children, whether it is due to a concern or a routine review, we look after all ages.
"An eye examination can sometimes uncover signs of more serious health conditions, and acting early can make all the difference."
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Laura and Sidney, who is due to have another operation in July to have a prosthetic eye fitted
Credit: Kennedy News
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