Shane Stevenson, 35, and his partner, Lowri Gallagher, 30, noticed a white glow in their then one-year-old son, Kooper’s eyeKooper, now two, is battling cancer.

A toddler was diagnosed with eye cancer after his parents spotted a white glow in his left eye.

Shane Stevenson, 35, and his partner, Lowri Gallagher, 30, were at home when they saw a white glow in the eye of their then-one-year-old son, Kooper.

The glow was only visible in dim light or when they took a photo of Kooper using a flash.

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An ultrasound showed a lump in Kooper’s eye, leading to a referral to Birmingham Women and Children’s Hospital last December.

He underwent an optical coherence tomography scan – an advanced procedure that enables opticians to evaluate eye health – before being diagnosed with retinoblastoma, a rare form of eye cancer typically affecting children under six.

Kooper began intra-arterial chemotherapy, a targeted cancer treatment where chemotherapy drugs are directly delivered to the affected area, followed by laser therapy and a round of chemotherapy injections.

He is still receiving treatment, with Shane saying the results had been “mixed”.

Shane, a health and safety consultant from Rhonda Valley, Wales, said: “I don’t think anything prepares you to hear your one-year-old has cancer, may lose his eye, or may never see from it again – it was a very emotional time.

“We both phoned our parents and used WhatsApp groups to inform the rest of the family.

Kooper with parents Shane and Lowri and brother Brody.

“They already had an inkling after our first hospital visit that it was likely retinoblastoma, so this was confirmation.

“The doctor discussed different chemotherapy options – and also offered genetic testing, which we chose, as Kooper has an older brother and for Kooper’s own future and any children he might have.”

Shane and Lowri were with Kooper, now two, and three-year-old Brody when they detected an unusual glow in his eye.

Shane said: “My partner first noticed a white glow in Kooper’s eye in low-light conditions.

“I dismissed it at first and then noticed it myself a couple of days later – then kept seeing it.”

They sought advice online and performed a simple test: “We Googled it and came across some advice that said to take a photo with the flash on, and the white glow in his eye was obvious then.”

A picture which showed the glow in Kooper’s eye.

Kooper was sent to Royal Glamorgan Hospital where an ultrasound revealed the concerning finding. Shane said: “They told us he had a lump in his eye and that ‘it could be serious, or it could be not as serious’, which wasn’t overly helpful.

“They said he would be referred to Birmingham, but didn’t mention the retinoblastoma team. I think the heartbreak really hit when we left the hospital and got to the car park – and realised what we were dealing with.

“It was heartbreaking to hear your son had cancer. There was so much going through my head about whether or not he would need to get his eye taken out.”

Doctors told Shane Kooper would require chemotherapy, and if the tumour did not shrink, an operation to remove his eye might be necessary.

He said: “Kooper has had four rounds of intra-arterial chemotherapy, laser therapy twice, and one round of chemotherapy injections.

“Results have been mixed; the first two intra-arterial rounds were somewhat effective, the third was very effective, but the fourth had little impact.

“They said at his last examination the tumour looked smaller, but the spores in his eye were growing, so hopefully the injection has had a positive effect on that.

“After treatment, when he is on steroids, Kooper becomes very distressed for four to five days, which has been difficult.

“My partner and I both work, and we can’t send him to nursery when he’s like that, but he does like going on trips to the hospital.”

The Childhood Eye Cancer Trust (CHECT) is encouraging parents and healthcare professionals to recognise the primary symptoms of eye cancer – typically a white glow in the eye in a flash photograph or under certain lighting, as well as the presence of a squint.

Shane said: “CHECT have been great, we had the initial grant which helped with travel costs etc.

“Our support worker has been to see us every time we’ve been to the hospital, which probably has had the biggest impact, having an impartial point of contact to speak to and get information from, she always engaged with us and with Kooper.

“She also helped us with the DLA forms and also signposted us to different services. I took on the ABP Newport 10K for CHECT in April, and I’m taking on the Chepstow 10K in August to raise money for the charity.”