Picture: Alice Taylor’s Rb was diagnosed when she was two years old after her mother Emily Taylor discovered she couldn’t see out of her left eye. Video: Shane Richie presents a Lifeline appeal on behalf of the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust
Viewers of our ±«Óãtv Lifeline Appeal raised £17,951 to help families affected by retinoblastoma (Rb), a rare eye cancer which mainly affects children under the age of six. We’d like to say a huge thank you to the ±«Óãtv, presenter Shane Richie and to everyone who donated as this makes such a big difference to a small charity like us.
Approximately one child per week in the UK is diagnosed with Rb, and it’s thanks to fundraising initiatives like the ±«Óãtv Lifeline Appeal, that we are able to offer support to all families following diagnosis and throughout treatment.
Around 98 per cent of children will survive, but unfortunately approximately half will lose an eye to stop the cancer spreading. As retinoblastoma is rare, the chances of encountering someone of a similar age who has had the disease, or with an artificial eye, is incredibly unlikely. It can leave those affected, feeling isolated, especially when dealing with self-esteem around visual appearance. The appeal showed how CHECT’s teenage events and Teen Focus Council gives teenagers an opportunity to share experiences and boost their self-esteem.
The appeal also highlighted how CHECT fund important research into Rb through the story of Rob. Both of Rob’s sons inherited the Rb gene mutation, however thanks to CHECT-funded research and early screening, doctors were able to save their sight.
We hope that the story of Alice will have an impact on parents who watched the appeal, encouraging them to also play a game of pirates by covering one of their child’s eyes with an eye patch to see how well they can see. As highlighted, the most common signs of Rb are a squint and a glow in the eye seen in certain light or a flash photo.
As retinoblastoma is so rare, we haven’t yet received any calls from worried parents as a direct response to the appeal. However, we hope that somewhere and someday, the messages in this appeal will be remembered and lead to saving a child’s sight, eyes or even life.
You can find out more about the charity .