Arlo’s mother saw something in his eye. She never thought it could be cancer
A mum has issued a warning to other parents after spotting her son's cancer after seeing an unusual glow in his eye.
Megan Brimson, 28, noticed that her son, Arlo's, five, right eye had a white glow while he was playing in the sun, and took him to hospital to have it checked.
He had a routine eye test which revealed a large mass on his eye.
Megan and her partner Richard, 29, a digital designer, were referred to the Royal London Hospital, London, and Arlo was diagnosed with retinoblastoma - a rare type of eye cancer that affects young children.
Arlo had an enucleation - where the eye is removed - and underwent four rounds of chemotherapy.
But the little boy has "recovered well" and is waiting for a prosthetic eye.
Megan, a singer, from Isle of Wight, said: "Arlo is doing so well, we are so incredibly proud of him.
"He's cleaning his eye himself, we've had his moulding done for his prosthetic eye and he stayed awake for his post-op appointment.
"He's back at school full time and is loving it.
"His big brother is his best friend and such a good big brother always making sure Arlo is comfortable and okay at school.”
Arlo was playing in direct sunlight when Megan noticed a white glow in his eye in August 2023.
Megan said: “I had noticed something and the next day my sister had him for the day.
"She called me and said that his eye was completely white while playing in his cousin’s room directly in the sunlight.
"I was pregnant at the time and had my health visitor coming that week so I thought I would ask her advice.
"She said to take him straight to the hospital.”
Arlo was then taken to St Mary's Hospital, Newport, Isle of Wight for a routine eye test and for an ultrasound.
Megan said: "At this point, we knew there was something wrong.
"The doctor told us there was a very large mass at the back of Arlo’s eye, he then called another doctor out of surgery to have a look at the photos.
"This doctor was from Moorfields Eye Hospital, he didn't confirm to us that it was cancer, but he made the referral up to the Royal London Hospital.”
Symptoms of eye cancer
According to The NHS
Shadows, flashes of light, or wiggly lines in your vision
Blurred vision
A dark patch in your eye that’s getting bigger
Partial or total loss of vision
Bulging of one eye
A lump on your eyelid or in your eye that’s increasing in size
Eye irritation that is not going away
Pain in or around your eye, although this is rare
Megan, Richard and Arlo travelled from the Isle of Wight to London for the assessment where Arlo was put under general anaesthetic.
The doctors checked both of his eyes and confirmed he had a retinoblastoma in August 2023 and would need an operation to remove his right eye.
Megan said: "Being 36 weeks pregnant at the time I was extremely emotional.
"I rang my mum first and told her and then she said that she would tell the rest of the immediate family for us.
"My husband also made phone calls. He was my rock throughout it all.”
Arlo had his eye removed in August 2023, followed by four rounds of chemotherapy.
Richard said: "We were made aware he would have to go under and have an overnight stay.
"He went for his operation soon after going in and he wasn't very trusting of doctors and nurses - it took us a while to get him used to his surroundings.
"When we had him come out of theatre that was when it got horrible and stressful.”
"You can do all the prep work in the world with a child but that shock is always there.
"The first night was tough, he would wake up every half an hour and be distressed."
Since the operation, Arlo is in remission and is waiting to get a prosthetic eye.
Megan said that Arlo is thriving and has started school.
She said: “Arlo is a very bouncy, loud, loving and funny little boy.
"He’s always playing tricks, mostly on me, and his dad is the best climbing frame for Arlo.
"He loves music and having dance parties in the kitchen and is obsessed with Pokémon.
"In fact, Pokémon Go and his Nintendo Switch was his lifeline when he was at appointments.
"He used to sleep a lot at appointments as he used to tell us that 'time goes quicker when you sleep’.”
The Childhood Eye Cancer Trust (CHECT) says that typical signs of retinoblastoma include a white glow which may only appear in certain lights or a squint, as well as a change in the appearance of the eye or a swollen eye, although often only one sign or symptom is present.
Richard Ashton, Chief Executive of CHECT said: “Retinoblastoma is rare, with around one baby or young child being diagnosed in the UK each week.
"Symptoms can be quite subtle, and children often seem well in themselves which can make it hard to diagnose. In just under half of all cases, a child must have an eye removed as part of their treatment.”
