👁️💔 AVA GRACE LOST AN EYE TO A RARE CHILDHOOD CANCER — BUT HER COURAGE CONTINUES TO SHINE

For Vicki Cooper-Bird and Ian Bird, life with their young daughter Ava Grace had always been filled with the ordinary joys of childhood.

At just 14 months old, Ava was a happy, healthy toddler with a curious personality and plenty of energy.

Then her parents noticed a small change in her eye.

It began after Ava developed hand, foot and mouth disease. Her once light-blue iris appeared darker, while her pupil was no longer responding normally to light.

For Vicki, the change immediately felt unusual.

Trusting her instincts, the family sought medical advice.

Doctors initially struggled to see the back of Ava’s eye and referred her to a specialist paediatric unit. For three days, the family waited through examinations and testing, hoping for an explanation.

Instead, they received devastating news.

Doctors discovered that the pressure inside Ava’s eye was more than twice the normal level. A senior paediatric ophthalmologist became concerned that Ava could have retinoblastoma, a rare form of eye cancer that primarily affects young children.

Further examinations revealed that Ava had also suffered a complete retinal detachment.

She had already lost vision in the affected eye, although her parents had not realized it.

Ava was transferred to a specialist centre, where doctors performed additional tests under general anaesthetic.

On November 2, 2023, the family received the diagnosis they had feared.

Ava had retinoblastoma.

The tumor behind her eye measured approximately 22mm and was classified as Grade E, the most advanced stage of the disease.

“Ava’s diagnosis completely blindsided us,” Vicki said.

Ian described hearing the word cancer in relation to his one-year-old daughter as an experience unlike anything he had imagined.

Thankfully, doctors determined that the cancer had not spread along Ava’s optic nerve. However, there was no way to preserve the affected eye.

To protect Ava’s health, doctors recommended removing it.

Just three days after Vicki and Ian’s wedding, their little girl underwent surgery.

The procedure marked the beginning of another difficult chapter.

Ava would need a prosthetic eye, but adapting to it was challenging for such a young child. She frequently tried to remove it, and her family sometimes needed to return to hospital several times a week for adjustments or replacements.

During her first year after surgery, Ava went through six different prosthetic eyes.

The physical challenges were only part of the journey.

Her parents also noticed the emotional effects of everything she had experienced. Ava struggled with sleep, anxiety and the effects of medical trauma despite being so young.

Yet throughout the difficult months, her family remained focused on helping her move forward.

Ava’s story is a powerful reminder that childhood illnesses can sometimes begin with a detail that appears incredibly small.

For Vicki, noticing the change in her daughter’s eye became an important moment.

Her instinct led the family to seek help, ultimately revealing a serious condition that required urgent treatment.

Ava may have lost vision in one eye, but she continues to grow, adapt and discover the world around her.

Her journey has included surgery, hospital visits, prosthetic eyes and challenges far beyond what most toddlers will ever experience.

But Ava remains a little girl with a future ahead of her.

Her story is not simply about what she lost.

It is about what she survived, the love surrounding her and the remarkable strength she continues to show. ❤️‍🩹👧💕