After celebrating our eldest daughter’s 8th birthday Sunday, my wife & I ended up rushing our youngest daughter, Emilia, to the ER that same night because she was unable to see out of her right eye. Days of tests have confirmed she has Retinoblastoma — a rare form of eye cancer.
We first noticed a change in her iris color back in June. Her right eye was losing its blueish green hue and turning brown. The pediatrician found it a little odd but didn’t think much of it. She still referred us to an ophthalmologist, but they were booked out until January.
Two weekends ago, after taking the girls to their first Gator football game, we noticed some slight drooping of her eyelid, along with some mild swelling & inflammation on the skin around the eye. She complained a little about her eye hurting but then said it felt better.
Flash forward to this past Sunday, we recognized a significant drop off in her vision in that eye. And it’s seemed like we’ve been living a nightmare since.
Our little 3-year-old girl has been resilient & brave. We’re so proud of her, and we’ll continue to be as we fight forward. She’s taken every test, IV, and drop of medicine like a champ. No parent should have to watch their child go through this, though.
No parent should have to pay to watch their child go through this. Family & friends have been tremendous so far. Yet, we can use all the support we can get.
We’re not sure exactly what the final bill will be, but we’re trying to be proactive. If you’re able to give anything to help her & our family fight through this, here is a link to a GoFundMe my sister helped us set up. gofundme.com/f/emilia-fight…
The doctor told us there are 350 new cases of Retinoblastoma every year. Emilia’s is an advanced case. And we only knew what to look for because my wife saw a Facebook post from another parent, who shared her own son’s journey through this type of cancer.
@RobertJudin Prayers my strength and healing!! ❤️🩹 🙏🙏
@RobertJudin Donated brother. And prayers up for that gorgeous little girl. I have two teenage girls, I can only imagine what you’re all going through. 🙏
@RobertJudin Praying for you and your family bro
@RobertJudin So sorry to hear you’re going through this. Hope you can get her everything she needs