Tina Treadwell had a collection of photos of her toddler son, Taylor, that she was eager to share with Geraldine, the boy’s aunt. Tina was looking forward to submitting the pictures to a modeling agency given that Taylor had been called “a natural” by a photographer in the past. Taylor always seemed to be in his element when he was in the studio.
Taylor’s aunt, however, was concerned by an unusual “shadow” that she spotted in one of Taylor’s eyes. It called to a mind a story that she had recently read about eye “shadows” and their connection to a rare form of childhood eye cancer known as Retinoblastoma. Geraldine suggested that Tina have her son examined by a doctor in order to rule the possibility of Retinoblastoma out. According to Tina, Taylor always had a glow in his right eye whenever he was captured on film but she had assumed that this was merely the result of the camera flash. It was determined during his examination that Taylor did indeed have Retinoblastoma.
According to the American Cancer Society, 200 to 300 children are diagnosed with Retinoblastoma in the U.S. each year. Taylor’s story caught the attention of the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust (CHECT) and the organization asked whether Taylor could model for CHECT in one its campaigns. CHECT UK maintains a campaign for the early detection of Retinoblastoma. The posters that are used for this campaign include reflective ink that is designed to help parents see exactly how indicator spots are revealed in a child’s pupils when flash photography is used. Parents can use their cameras or mobile phones to take pictures of their children while using the flash function. If there is a “shadow” or white spot in either or both of the pupils, it is important to schedule an exam to check for Retinoblastoma.
