At 12 weeks pregnant we were told Ryder would have Down Syndrome. By 34 weeks my fluid was so high they were certain he would need surgery right away in order to eat and that likely half his heart was bigger. At 37 weeks I was induced. Out came our strong healthy eating machine who indeed had Down syndrome. However Ryder didn't need any surgery and didn't spend any time in the NICU. Healthy as could be.
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48 hours later we went home. I couldn't take my eyes off of his beautiful face. Like any mom I took lots of pictures. I started to notice a glow in Ryder's left eye. I didn't think much of it but as time went on it was always there. I remembered seeing something on FB about a glowing eye so I decided even though it was likely nothing I should mention it at his 4 month appointment.
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Ryder had a great 4 month check up. She went on about how great he was doing. The dr was headed out when thankfully I said "oh yeah, his eye glows when I take pictures." Everything changed.
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36 hours later Ryder was diagnosed with Retinoblastoma. #Retinoblastoma is a rare childhood cancer. There are only 200-300 cases a year. I have yet to find a chid that has DS and RB making him one of a kind!
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Please take photos with your flash ON at least every few weeks. Keeping the flash on literally saved his life. If you see a glow in your photos or even a friends please say something. All children should see an eye Dr. by 6 months. At every check up make sure your Dr. is doing a light test to make sure they get a red reflection. Of they aren't please ask for it. Early detection is key! On a scale from A to E at 4 months old Ryder's tumor was already a borderline D. Had it not been caught it would have spread to his brain.
#knowtheglow
