Doctors had reassured her everything was fine
A mum has told how she spotted her daughter’s cancer that even doctors had missed after seeing a beige glow in her eye. Just weeks after giving birth to little Maggie, mum, Jennifer Salt, noticed that her newborn’s left eye was swollen and “gunky”.
Despite reassurance from doctors, the 40-year-old had concerns; which were only made worse as her baby’s eye began showing a beige-coloured glow. After multiple doctor’s visits, an ultrasound showed that the now four-year-old’s eye had a cloud-like structure. And it was cancer.
“It was completely shattering,” said Jennifer, a project manager, from Chesterfield, Derbyshire. “Then, things were made worse, as we were told it was present in both eyes. Instead of letting it defeat me, I went into autopilot mode. I was determined to fight for my little girl.”
Jennifer had noticed that Maggie had trouble focusing just months before her diagnosis in November 2021. She shared her concerns with partner, Karl, 39, who agreed that something was gravely wrong. When researching her daughter’s symptoms, though, the mum-of-two had a hunch of what to expect next.
She said: “What I read chilled me to the core. I panicked that Maggie would go blind. A referral would take four weeks, which made my heart sink. I reached out to our local MP and told them how nobody was listening to me. Thankfully, it worked and we got the emergency appointment confirming everything I had feared.”
Maggie, who has no vision in her left eye, has bilateral retinoblastoma. In her right eye, it was Grade B, while in the left, it was Grade E.
At four months old, she had her first round of chemotherapy to shrink the tumours. Sadly, as the left eye had shrunk so much as a result of treatment, they were left with no option but to remove it for good. Jennifer said: “Watching the ordeal Maggie was going through took a toll on me. My mental health plummeted.
“Her body rejected the implant, so the next option was to carry out a graft by taking fat from her bottom and inserting it into her eye. It just kept growing cysts, however. I questioned why nothing was working and felt like the world was punishing me. I couldn’t bear seeing her go through much more.”
In another devastating blow, it was found that Maggie had a mass on her pineal gland in the centre of her brain. Thankfully, it was only a cyst. Despite trying to give Maggie a “normal” childhood, people often stare and make disgusted remarks.
She said: “It was devastating to see her so self-conscious and fearful. “I tried to let her know how beautiful and clever she was each day. When we got her a more realistic prosthetic eye, her confidence boosted; just in time for school. And, luckily, nobody seemed to notice at first.”
Due to the type of cancer, Maggie may still deal with tumours until she reaches six years old – as well as other types of cancer. Jennifer hopes to share their ordeal – and the warning signs – so other parents are aware before it’s too late.
She added: “I’m so grateful for all the help we’ve received. Coping with a member of the family having cancer, particularly a child, is so gruelling. I hope there will be specific support given to families in the future for all the trauma they’re going through.
“I know it would’ve meant a lot to me; and still would if it were offered now. Maggie has had sclerotherapy to treat the cysts in her eye socket and is currently awaiting further treatment. But we’re not sure when that will be. We don’t know how much vision she has in her right eye yet, but we know that she’s got a significant amount.
“She’s got the biggest smile and such a zest for life.”
