Cancer boy’s parents in plea
A MOTHER who took her son to the doctor for a check-up and discovered that he had cancer is helping to raise awareness among other parents.
Amelia Tappin, 36, took Nathan, then 19 months, to see their GP because she was worried about the strange appearance of one of his eyes. Six weeks later he was diagnosed with cancer. He subsequently had to have the eye removed and underwent several months of chemotherapy.
Nathan, three, whose father Paul, 35, is an electrician at Morgan Stanley, Canary Wharf, was suffering from retinoblastoma, a little-known cancer that affects the eyes of children under five. The prognosis for sufferers in Britain is good, with 98 per cent surviving, though most will lose an eye.
Nathan, Amelia and Paul have been at the centre of a recent week-long awareness campaign at The Royal London Hospital, Whitechapel, highlighting retinoblastoma and helping people recognise the symptoms so that it can be treated quickly. The condition can be identified by looking at children’s eyes in photographs.
The Children’s Eye Cancer Trust charity - based at The Royal London - advise that a white “cat’s eye” glint instead of the “red eye” often seen in flash photographs is one of the more easily recognisable signs of retinoblastoma.
A squint may also indicate that there is a problem.
A poster with an image of Nathan before his diagnosis is being distributed to help parents understand what to look for.
Though there may be innocent reasons for this glint, the charity advise people to have their child checked by a GP or optician if they spot any of the signs. Amelia, who received support from the charity during Nathan’s illness, said: “I want to create as much awareness about retinoblastoma as I can.
“I am working with the charity to spread the word that people’s family snaps can help identify this cancer early.”
As well as helping at the awareness week - which saw a visit from French support organisation Retinostop - she has been distributing the poster in local early years, medical and health centres near the family’s Hornchurch home and is on a sponsored slim to raise funds for the charity.
source :www.newhamrecorder.co.uk
