Child's cancer sparks appeal (From Gazette Series)

Child's cancer sparks appeal

WHEN three-year-old Laura Woodman was diagnosed with cancer of the eye her family was distraught. Her mother Karen, of Thornbury, had never heard of Retinoblastoma before and was completely in the dark over what to do to help her child. But now, only months after the disease was first picked up, the family is helping to raise the profile of the rare form of cancer which affects children under the age of five. Ali Dent spoke to family friend Sarah Hunter about why it is so important for parents to know the signs.

LITTLE Laura was on a routine trip to the opticians when her cancer was first spotted.

Her family was told there was a mass at the back of Laura's eye and a week later her eye was removed.

She has had to undergo several operations since and now wears a prosthetic eye but at only three years of age, the young fighter has had it worst than most.

Laura is now adapting to life with sight in only one eye and is said to be a happy toddler.

Sarah Hunter, who has been friends with Laura's mum Karen for 35 years, told the Gazette: "It was pretty hideous really and quite scary.

"We were all so shocked as there was no sense of anything being wrong. "You always think this kind of thing happens to somebody else but it doesn't - It happens to people you know."

Although Retinoblastoma is very rare, Karen and Sarah, who runs Easter Compton's ladies' club Easter Chicks, are trying to raise awareness of the disease and how to spot it.

The disease is often picked up too late and can lead to fatal consequences. The Woodmans know how lucky Laura was and now they know what to look for, they want to help other parents understand the signs.

Sarah said: "I know as a mother myself I would not have known what to look out for in my children with this particular cancer.

"Karen is keen to make other parents aware of the signs of this tumour as she had never heard of it before Laura's diagnosis.

"Laura was lucky in some ways but sadly lost her eye. We want to make people more aware of spotting the signs of this cancer."

Often Retinoblastoma can be picked up from such a simple thing as a photograph. Where pictures show red eyes, if a child in the photograph has only one red eye it can mean there is a tumour.

A squint or the appearance of a white light bouncing back out of the eye can also indicate that a child has eye cancer and it is these simple checks the Woodman family and friends are keen to promote.

Sarah and the Easter Chicks have nominated The Childhood Eye Cancer Trust as their chosen charity for this year. The group, which meets once a month, is hosting a fund-raising cream tea afternoon on Sunday, June 19 (3pm-4.30pm) at The Yews, Easter Compton.

It will include a raffle with prizes donated from Wyevale Garden Centre, Thornbury Castle, Virgin, Vie Cosmetics, Lippiatt's Stores, The Fox pub in the village and Tesco.

The group hopes people will go along to the event and be generous in support of the charity.

Added Sarah: "The family has had tremendous support from the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust and the Easter Chicks felt strongly about trying to raise money for the charity to help support their good work helping families of children with eye cancer.

"We just hope we can save somebody else from having to go through what the Woodman family did."