AN incredibly brave Barrow baby and his big brother have received awards for courage after the one-year-old had two cancerous tumours removed and lost sight in one eye

MUMS are often the ones who know their babies best and when Barrow nurse Jenna Parker noticed something unusual in her baby boy's eye, she knew she had to act fast.

A discoloured pupil in the left eye of baby Ezra Jai McLean turned out to be a large white mass. It was to be the beginning of a year from hell for his mum, dad John McLean and big brother Hanley Jai, six.

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Following further tests at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, the family’s worst fears were confirmed and Ezra was diagnosed with a type of cancer called retinoblastoma.

Mrs Parker, 28, said: "We first noticed Ezra's pupil in a family photo that was taken on my phone.

"It looked a golden-brown colour instead of black and I immediately knew something was wrong. I took Ezra to see a consultant in ophthalmology at Furness General Hospital.

"I would urge all mothers to push hard if they feel there is something wrong with their baby, I wouldn't take no for an answer and we were eventually referred to Manchester, then Birmingham, where Ezra had more scans and ultra sounds.

“When the doctors initially explained that the mass behind his eye might be cancerous, I couldn’t speak. I just sat there silently as tears rolled down my cheeks – I couldn’t take it in. Until that point I had thought the worst case scenario was Ezra needing surgery to re-attach his retina.

"I never thought for a minute that my beautiful baby boy, who was only three months old at the time, could have cancer."

The mass behind Ezra's left eye was large and the most serious kind, while a second tumour, which was discovered behind his right eye, was fortunately not as fast growing or dangerous.

Ezra faced a six-month course of chemotherapy so, before undertaking the ordeal, the family organised a beautiful christening at St Columba’s Church on Walney to celebrate his life.

The following day, Ezra was admitted to hospital and started the chemotherapy treatment which he finally completed in June this year.

Thankfully the chemotherapy was successful in shrinking Ezra's tumour, but came with a serious price. He lost the sight completely in his left eye.

The family will continue to keep a close watch on Ezra who needs to have investigations into the back of his eye every four weeks under general anaesthetic and visit his doctor for regular check-ups for the next five years.

This month the family found out that Ezra had won a Star Award, presented to him by Cancer Research UK Kids & Teens. The awards aim to recognise the courage of children affected by cancer and are backed by a host of famous faces including Strictly star and Olympic long jumper and medallist Greg Rutherford, professional dancers Karen and Kevin Clifton and children’s television star Mister Maker.

Mrs Parker said: “When Ezra was presented with his award from Cancer Research UK, Hanley got a certificate too and that meant so much. It made him feel like he was being recognised as well, which is so important.

“Our family and friends have been a tremendous support and Hanley, his big brother, has been an absolute sweetheart. He loves his brother and has been worried about his ‘poorly eye’ – that’s how we explained what was wrong. Hanley is only six and it’s difficult for siblings of children with cancer. They’re the forgotten casualties in situations like this.

“You can’t look too far into the future when you have a child who has had cancer, but we try to stay as positive as we can."

Factfile: What is retinoblastoma?

Retinoblastoma is a type of cancer found at the back of the eye – in the UK around 35 children each year are diagnosed with the disease. It has the highest survival rate of any children’s cancers – 99 per cent of children survive for at least five years and Cancer Research UK’s work has been part of this success.

Retinoblastoma develops in the light-sensitive lining of the eye (called the retina).

There are two forms of retinoblastoma:

1. A heritable form - this is genetic or inherited. There are often tumours in both eyes (bilateral) or sometimes only in one eye.

2. A non-heritable form - this is not passed on in the family. There's one tumour in only one eye (unilateral).

Symptoms of retinoblastoma

1. An unusual white reflection in the pupil – this may be apparent in photos where only the healthy eye appears red from the flash, or you may notice it in a dark or artificially lit room.

2. A squint.

3. A change in the colour of the iris – in one eye or sometimes only in one area of the eye.

4. A red or inflamed eye – though your child won't usually complain of any pain.

5. Poor vision – your child may not focus on faces or objects, or they may not be able to control their eye movements (this is more common when both eyes are affected); they may say that they can't see as well as they used to.

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