I knew something was seriously wrong with my boy as soon as he took his first steps

A mother has shared how she knew something was wrong with her son the moment he took his first excited steps.

At 11 months, little AJ has reached the milestone every parent longs for.

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Parents Natasha and Alex Finney were delighted with their son when he first walked before noticing a cloudiness in one eye.

Realizing that this was not common, they took him to the doctor, where he had dozens of tests.

The boy was diagnosed with retinoblastoma – cancer of the retina.

Because of the size of the cancer, doctors quickly performed surgery to remove his eye.

Now AJ from Bolton has an artificial eye following surgery the day after his first birthday.

Natasha, 29, told MailOnline: “When he stood up and took his first steps in this process we were over the moon.

“But then we noticed a cloudiness in his eye and decided to take him to the doctor that same day.

“The standout word was ‘cancer.’ Our hearts sank lower than we thought possible, we were devastated.”

This type of tumor is sometimes called cat’s eye because it looks unusually white inside the eye.

Light reflects off the surface of the cancer, making the patient’s dilated pupils appear in flash photos.

Natasha added, “We weren’t aware of retinoblastoma before AJ was diagnosed, so we wouldn’t have known of any typical signs or symptoms of it.

“Although AJ had visible squint fairly early on, we weren’t concerned as Alex and his mother also have mild squint, so we assumed it was hereditary.

“Since the diagnosis of AJ, we have discovered that squinting is the second most common sign of retinoblastoma.”

After the operation, the boy was in the hospital for five days, his parents were only allowed in for an hour a day due to Covid restrictions.

He has recovered from the serious surgery and walks everywhere, his parents said.

Retinal blastoma is a rare type of cancer that can affect young children, generally under the age of five.

If it is detected early, it can usually be treated successfully.

Can affect both or just one eye.

Symptoms of retinal blastoma include:

• an unusual white reflex in the pupil –
• a squint
• a change in the color of the iris
• a red or sore eye
• bad sight

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