How a Vision Express eye test helped save 14-year-old Molly’s life

For several weeks, Molly’s mum, Naomi, had spotted her daughter was generally off-colour and lethargic but thought she was just showing the signs of becoming a teenager. Her mentions of headaches and sore eyes were put down to a recent bout of hot weather and her phone use. “We were getting ready for school one morning and I spotted Molly had an ingrown toenail, and I thought this may explain her recent clumsiness - so we booked a GP appointment,” said Naomi.

During the exam, the GP spotted some inflammation in the back of her eye which they thought may be residual infection from her foot, but suggested a trip to Vision Express to see her Optician, in case she needed to have a new prescription for her glasses, which may also explain the headachesshe was complaining of.

Molly’s dad Nigel took along and the optometrist at Vision Express spotted a lot of inflammation behind her optic nerve. He was advised to immediately take Molly to the local A&E. There, she underwent an MRI scan and a thorough examination of her eyes. “A mix of parental instinct and previous experience working in healthcare told us something wasn’t right as we watched the medical team check the screens in the consulting room.”

Initially, the family were told to go home and wait for the results to come through but when they got in the car they were called back by the consultant. He ushered them into the family room and told them that Molly had a brain tumour and needed to be transferred to Birmingham Children’s Hospital for surgery. Molly’s first operation was held just 48 hours later.

“Molly’s tumour was nearly a quarter of the size of her brain, and its growth not only had asignificant impact on her optic nerve but was dangerously close to her brain stem, making it difficult to remove. If we had not discovered it sooner, the impact on her may have been catastrophic.” Molly underwent several procedures over the course of two months to remove the tumour and is now considered tumour free.

“On the ward, they’d call Molly the Viking Princess because of her warrior attitude, and she had gorgeous red hair which the surgeon refused to shave for the operation. Packing a month’s worth of recovery into only a week and is handling this better than all the adults in the room. We’re so proud.”

Molly is now under regular consultation with both her hospital team and Vision Express, who are working to prescribe new glasses to help improve her remaining sight. “We have a long way to go,and Molly is now classed as severely visually impaired. She has lost almost all sight in her left eye and has significant damage to her right - all of which is a small price to pay to have her still with us.”

Moving forward, Naomi says her friends and family have all booked eye tests, and she stresses that it’s one appointment you shouldn’t miss. “Without the vigilance and professionalism of the optometrist at Vision Express that day, we may not have known until it was too late. They said it was the worst case they’d seen in a 30-year career. Vision Express, together with the superheroes at Birmingham Children’s Hospital have become part of an amazing team for us that no doubt saved our daughter’s life.”

Dan McGhee, Clinical Services Director, from Vision Express said: "Molly’s example highlights the importance of both regular eye checks and having your eyes checked when there are any symptoms. As Optometrists we are more highly trained and more equipped than ever to perform a very thorough eye test to detect and manage serious eye and health conditions; as well as your spectacle needs. National Eye Health Week is a great week that promotes to importance of this and how much Vision Matters."

National Eye Health Week takes place 18th – 24th September, promoting the importance of good eye health and the need for regular eye tests.

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