Parents issue warning after discovering baby's eye cancer thanks to lamp

A couple who spotted their baby's eye cancer because she was sitting next to a lamp are now urging other parents to pay attention to the signs.

Steve and Lucy Crosbie, from Norfolk, spotted a white reflection in their baby daughter's eye, only because she was sitting next a bright light.

Thankfully they got it checked out and doctors diagnosed Lavinia with a rare form of eye cancer - retinoblastoma.

'We took Lavinia to see the GP as we had noticed a white reflex in her left eye. The GP referred us to our local eye clinic for tests by an eye doctor', the parents wrote on the Facebook page they created to raise awareness about the condition.

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'We then had to go and take Lavinia to be put to sleep so they could have a better look. We were then referred to The Royal London Hospital one of the specialist centres for Retinoblastoma.

'Our world was turned upside down when we had our diagnosis confirmed.'

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When she was diagnosed, Lavinia's tumour was graded as D, with E being the worst possible grade.

The little girl has had to go through weeks of chemotherapy, and developed an infection and sepsis. She's also had to receive several blood transfusions.

Lavinia's now done with her chemotherapy, but doctors might still have to remove her eye, and they believe she has little or no vision in the affected eye.

During Lavinia's treatment, her parents have been sharing updates on how she's doing. In a recent post, before she finished her chemotherapy, Steve and Lucy gave an honest account of what it's like to go through such a traumatic experience as a parent.

'It's as if she's being dangled on a string in front of us, here's the happy baby you could have and you all want, but come tomorrow that'll all be taken away from us', they wrote on Facebook.

'We will have a baby that keeps being sick, cries because she hurts, wants nothing but cuddles and has that face, the face that lacks a smile the face of simple existence, the eyes that look deep into yours begging for it all to go away. And I'm sure the feeding tube will be back in mid week and all the hard work at putting her weight back on will be lost.

'These trips are the hardest, no one wants to pump there baby with this horrible poison, but knowing that it is actually doing some sort of twisted good is the only reason we are on our way now. One more after today and I have never wanted anything to be over so badly in my life.'

Speaking to Metro online, Lucy urged other parents to look out for symptoms of the condition: 'She's our little hero. Now we want to warn other parents what to look out for.'

Retinoblastoma affects around 50 to 60 children in the UK each year, and can have dangerous consequences if not spotted early. Signs to look out for include an unusual white glow in the eye, squinting, a change in the eye colour in just one eye, or one part of the eye, a red or inflamed eye and poor vision.