23 December 2023 , 18:07
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When mum Joanna Laughland took her baby Arla for an eye test, she was expecting the appointment to be routine.
She knew the one-year-old had a squint, while a white glow showed up in her left eye in photos. But as her husband also had a squint as a child, she assumed Arla’s problem could easily be solved.
So she wasn’t prepared at all for the ophthalmologist’s devastating diagnosis – that Arla had a large tumour and would probably have to have her eye removed. Joanna, 29, said: “I was in shock. I’d gone on my own because I thought it was a basic eye check.”
Last December, doctors told her and husband Nicky, 30, that Arla had retinoblastoma – a rare and aggressive form of eye cancer found in babies and children. Intra-arterial chemotherapy, which delivers high doses of drugs directly to a tumour to shrink it, was proposed. But then, three days before Christmas, medics decided that surgery was too risky in Arla’s case.
A white glow showed up in her left eye in photosInstead, from January, she would have to fly 300 miles every four weeks from her home in Livingston, West Lothian, to Birmingham Children’s Hospital for specialist laser therapy, followed by six sessions of IV chemo at the Royal Edinburgh.
Baby boy has spent his life in hospital as doctors are 'scared' to discharge him
As well as being stressful, travelling was very expensive – especially when the family car broke down in the hospital car park, costing £1,000 to repair. But thankfully for Joanna, a beauty salon owner, and HGV driver Nicky, who also have daughter Aria, seven, our Christmas Appeal charity Young Lives vs Cancer stepped in.
It provided grants to repair the car and to cover Joanna, who is self-employed, being unable to work. Even a small donation to Young Lives makes a difference: just £5 helps to pay for travelling costs such as hospital parking and petrol, while £10 can be put towards a crisis grant.
Joanna said: “It was really difficult to even know what to ask for. Just having someone to vent to a little bit was helpful. The charity’s social worker also arranged for us to go away on a caravan holiday the week before Arla’s last round of chemo, just to have a bit of peace from everything.”
Treatment was frightening, with Arla needing blood transfusions and losing so much weight her ribs were visible. But now, aged two, she is thriving. And while doctors believe the vision in her left eye may never fully return to normal, her right works perfectly.
Joanna said: “Arla is doing really well. She was an actual superstar through her treatment. Looking at her now compared to six months ago, there’s a huge difference.” The family is now looking forward to a far less stressful Christmas this year, with Joanna adding: “We are planning on making as many memories together as we can.”
Donate now to help struggling familiesHow to donate
Post cheques to: Freepost Plus RTKS-ZCXSHSBT, Young Lives vs Cancer (Mirror Appeal), 126 Fairlie Road, Slough, SL1 4PY
Donate online: younglivesvscancer.org.uk/mirror-appeal
Text to Donate: Text MIRRORFIVE to 70085 to donate £5, text MIRRORTEN to 70085 to donate £10 or text MIRRORT WENTY to 70085 to donate £20. Texts will cost the donation amount plus one standard network rate message.