A British mother says she is “eternally grateful” after a simple nursery photo led to the discovery of a rare and potentially deadly illness in her two-year-old son.
For Laura Davies, from Mold, Flintshire, it all began in April when she noticed a strange cloudiness in her son Sidney’s eye. The unusual reflection only appeared when he looked a certain way in the light — enough to raise concern, but not enough to immediately suggest something serious.
Then came a photo taken by Sidney’s nursery in their sensory room. The image showed a stark difference between his two eyes — his left eye appeared cloudy, even white, compared to the right.
“His nursery saved his life by taking that photo,” Laura said. “He was sitting in his high chair facing the French doors when my husband noticed something didn’t look right with his eye. It looked cloudy — almost like a mirror reflecting the light.”
After visits to their GP and Specsavers, Sidney was urgently referred to Birmingham Children’s Hospital. An ultrasound revealed he had retinoblastoma, a rare form of eye cancer that primarily affects young children.
Doctors determined the best course of action was to remove the eye. Sidney underwent surgery on May 27. Thankfully, follow-up scans confirmed he would not need chemotherapy or radiation.
“It was terrifying watching him go into surgery,” Laura said. “But he was so brave. He’s been incredible. We just went into parent mode and pushed through it. When we finally got the all-clear, I broke down. It was such a relief.”
Sidney is expected to receive a prosthetic eye later this month and will wear protective goggles for sports and physical play. Aside from that, his parents hope life will return to normal.
Looking back, Laura said the signs were subtle. “He’s always been so careful — he’d go down steps slowly, unlike his older brother who charges ahead. Maybe that was a clue, but he never showed any signs of vision problems. He’s always been such a happy little boy.”
Now, Laura says others on the school run have even commented that Sidney seems to have “a new lease of life.”
“We’ll never really know if it was bothering him before. But that nursery photo — it may have saved his life,” she said.
Laura is now urging other parents to trust their instincts and pay attention to the smallest changes. “If something feels off, don’t wait. Push for answers. We’re just so lucky we caught it when we did.”
