If you’re anything like me, red eye has always been one of those aggravating side-effects of taking pictures. I know I’ve always looked like the devil in pictures and so do my girls. I have even gone as far as to spend $100 on software so I can take away the red eye. This always annoyed me. I never liked red-eye and would get frustrated with the time I spent fixing it in my digital pics of the girls (and I know you’re shocked, but I take a lot of pictures of them).

Well, this all started to change about a year and a half ago. A gf of mine has a son who is 2 weeks older than Kayla. When he was a little over 1 year old, his Pediatrician noticed no reflection in one of his eyes. He had a cataract (sp?). He needed surgery to replace the lens in his eye and he still wears an eye patch for a few hours every day. He will eventually need glasses for either near or far-sightedness. My gf also told me that a few months b4 that, she noticed he only had red eye in one of his eyes, not both. He no longer had red eye in the bad eye. This changed my perspective on red eye. It made me not annoyed to go through the pictures and correct. I saw red eye as an indication of my girls having 2 healthy eyes.

This was re-affirmed for me yesterday. Another gf of mine sent me some pictures of a little boy – a young toddler – her brother’s nephew on his wife’s side (got that?). She asked me what I saw, if anything. I noticed that in one eye, he did not have red eye, but his pupil was a bright yellow – almost like a cat’s eye. His parents noticed this in pictures and had him checked. He has a raised tumor on his eye, which in most cases is malignant. Talk about a blow for his family. He is probably over a year, but under 2. They live in Connecticut, but will be traveling down here to see a specialist in Philadelphia. He also is a twin, so his sister will have to be checked b/c apparently this tumor is very often hereditary and is most often diagnosed by the age of 3. If you’re interested, here is a site with some information on this tumor - Retinoblastoma.

These things have always upset me, but it hit homes much more once you are a parent. It makes me even more thankful for the health of my girls and that the only medical issues they have had, although serious, are such that we can work with them so they will lead healthy lives. My hope is that they continue to maintain their health and that they never have to face Cancer or any other of the horrific diseases and conditions lurking around every corner.

Please keep this little boy in your thoughts and prayers.