In a remarkable and heartwarming tale of parental vigilance, a Utah mom’s attentive use of a baby monitor has become the unlikely hero in detecting a rare eye cancer in her 6-month-old son, Benny. What initially seemed like a routine monitoring of her child’s naptime took an unexpected turn as the baby monitor captured a distinct difference in Benny’s eyes, leading to an early diagnosis of retinoblastoma, a rare but treatable form of cancer.
Little Benny was simply rolling around in his crib, as babies, do, when his mother noticed something unusual on the baby monitor screen. To her alarm, one of Benny’s eyes appeared to be glowing, while the other remained dark. Recognizing that this disparity was not a typical occurrence, the Utah mom acted swiftly, taking her 6-month-old to the pediatrician for a thorough examination.
Upon visiting the pediatrician, the concerned mother was promptly referred to an ophthalmologist for further investigation. The tests conducted by the eye specialist revealed a diagnosis that no parent expects: retinoblastoma, a rare and potentially severe cancer affecting the retina. Dr. Eric Hansen, the ophthalmologist overseeing Benny’s case, emphasized that early detection is key in treating it successfully.
Benny went through a year of treatment after his cancer was found, and he is now on the road to recovery. Dr. Hansen said, “Benny is doing very well, he’s finished his chemotherapy, but we’ve still done consolidation local therapy, that would be laser, in his case for areas of small recurrence which is common in kids who have the retinoblastoma gene mutation. But he’s doing quite well.”
Dr. Hansen also clarified that Benny has a good prognosis, both in terms of the cancer and his eyesight. Inside Edition informed viewers, “Children should be screened for retinoblastoma during their early well-child visits, but most cases are caught by family members who notice something that doesn’t quite look right.”
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The importance of routine eye examinations, especially in children, cannot be overstated, and this incident serves as a strong example of the impact of early detection on the outcome of such cases.
To view Benny’s full story, click the video!
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