My little girl’s ‘whizzing’ eye was a subtle sign of cancer

April 3, 2023

If you see something, do something.

A London mom is warning parents about a “subtle” symptom that led to her now three-year-old daughter’s diagnosis with eye cancer.

Rebecca Palul, 35, and her wife, Charlotte, noticed that their daughter’s eye was moving strangely while she was playing with her toys one day around Christmas 2020.

“I remember playing with Isla on the floor, and her looking down at a toy then looking up at me. When she looked up, her right eye whizzed out to the side and back again as if it couldn’t focus,” Rebecca told NeedToKnow.online.

She also noticed that their daughter’s iris would “sometimes wobble,” and began to suspect that she had a lazy eye.

Doctors who examined Isla realized something was very wrong when they tried covering up her good eye, and saw that the left couldn’t come into focus “and was moving about all over the place,” Rebecca said. At just 14 months old, Isla was diagnosed with retinoblastoma, a cancerous tumor of the eye which typically affects children who are under the age of 6.

At first, her parents thought Isla might have had a lazy eye. — At first, Isla’s parents thought Isla might just have had a lazy eye.

Rebecca noted that her daughter's eye was acting strangely when she played with her toys. — “I remember her saying to me, ‘Unfortunately, there is a tumor in her right eye’, and being completely blindsided,” mom Rebecca recalled.

Unfortunately, the tot was diagnosed with a rare cancer called retinoblastoma. — Isla had six rounds of chemotherapy, and thankfully, the tumor shrank. Now, she’s also undergoing cryotherapy to freeze the “seeds” of new tumors.

Rebecca recalled being told, “Unfortunately, there is a tumor in her right eye,” and feeling “completely blindsided.”

Doctors believed they could save her eye, and so Isla began undergoing systemic chemotherapy, with a port fitted into her chest to receive the treatment.

Isla had six rounds of chemotherapy, and thankfully, the tumor shrank — though not without a few infection-scares along the way during treatment.

For now, Isla’s tumor is stable in size, but she has since developed “tiny tumor seeds” in her eye. Doctors hope cryotherapy — freezing the cancerous tissue — will keep them at bay.

“Isla has had periods of quite a few months where everything seems to be looking good,” the mom explained. “However, she’s also relapsed a few times.”

She underwent six rounds of chemotherapy to get rid of the tumor. — The moms are sharing the “subtle” warning signs of retinoblastoma with other parents of young children.

Her mom noticed that the warning signs of this cancer were extremely subtle. — Children who develop retinoblastoma, a rare form of eye cancer, usually do so before they reach kindergarten.

Rebecca is now urging parents to take note of the “subtle” warning signs that she saw in Isla before she was diagnosed.

One of the signs she noticed was a “white glow” in photographs of her tot’s eye. This is one of the most common symptoms of retinoblastoma, according to the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust. Additional symptoms include a swollen eye or other changes in the appearance of the eye — which may appear in isolation, making the condition even harder for parents to spot.

Since undergoing treatment, Isla has suffered from reduced vision in her right eye, which sometimes manifests in her having trouble balancing or walking down the stairs.

But through it all, Isla has remained positive and even smiling. She likes to swim, do gymnastics and watch the Disney movie “Frozen.”

The parents said that she was a "trooper" during the diagnosis and treatments. — The Childhood Eye Cancer Trust awarded Isla in 2022 for her bravery throughout diagnosis and treatment.

There are still some smaller tumors growing in her eye. — “Isla battled through chemotherapy like a little trooper,” mom Rebecca has said.

She was also presented with CHECT’s 2022 Champion award, given to her for her bravery throughout the diagnosis.

“From the beginning of our journey, CHECT have been there to support us,” Rebecca said. “The support workers have helped us with practical things like applying for Isla’s blue badge, as well as signposting us to other organizations for a short break last year.”

Even though Isla’s future is unknown right now, her parents are remaining positive and are hoping for good news.

“Isla battled through chemotherapy like a little trooper; she kept us all going,” Rebecca said.