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You cannot prevent retinoblastoma but you cannot die from it either. It is
metastatic retinoblastoma that kills. There is no cure. Metastatic
retinoblastoma is 100% preventable and should never happen. Our
pediatricians need to look for this disease at every pediatric exam and can
do so with an instrument called an ophthalmoscope. They simply shine the
ophthalmoscope in the child's eyes for a red dot reflex reaction. If they
see a white dot reflection instead of a red dot in the pupil of the
eye there is a problem. Because the disease comes through the retina of the
eye it is easily detected. With today's regular pediatric exams it should
never go undetected. When it is caught in the early stages we can save
the child's vision and there is never a threat to life.
The following picture is very IMPORTANT!! It was taken prior to
Joey’s eighteen month check up. It was one week after his second birthday
that Joey was diagnosed with retinoblastoma. That was over seven months
after these photos were taken. Notice the WHITE DOT IN THE PUPIL of
his right eye, this is the cancer reflecting back, where in a normal eye it
would have the red-eye like the left eye. |
November is Retinoblastoma Awareness Month
in Palm Beach County.
For additional information Visit:
www.lovejoey.com
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