Teen's deadly condition spotted during routine eye test despite GP and A&E visit
A teenager's life-threatening brain tumour was discovered during a routine eye test, despite multiple visits to her GP and A&E.
Bethany Williams, 16, had been suffering from sickness and headaches for months before she was diagnosed with medulloblastoma. Bethany had been visiting her GP and A&E but received no answers until a student nurse suggested her headaches might be due to an incorrect glasses prescription.
Her mum, Jenna, booked an appointment at Specsavers in Ipswich, Suffolk where the optometrist found a tumour in Bethany's brain. Bethany was quickly referred to West Suffolk Hospital to see a specialist and underwent an MRI scan. After brain surgery and chemotherapy, she is now in remission.
Jenna said: "We are so grateful that Bethany got her diagnosis when she did. You never know what could have happened if we waited to book our appointment even a few weeks later. We are telling everyone to book an appointment now. We had no idea that opticians could see things like brain tumours, but it saved her life."
Now that Bethany is in remission, she is ready to start her A-Levels in the new academic year. The optometrist who carried out Bethany's appointment, Obiora Ogbonna, said: "I do tests and screenings like I did for Bethany every day. To hear that I helped her get a diagnosis but that she is now in remission makes this job so rewarding.
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"Situations like Bethany's highlight how important it is to get regular eye tests, as we were able to identify an issue when we compared her eyes to how they were when she had her last appointment with us."
* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can report any errors to [email protected]
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