The rest, she said, have to be enucleated, just to be safe.
Continuing uncertainly
Three months later, on June 1, the three chemosurgeries were done, but the uncertainty continued.
Shields told the Sanzones that, based on ultrasound, the tumor was "a dead scar." However, Tyler had fresh bleeding in the vitreous.
Four months of close follow-up would tell if he could safely keep his right eye.
Still, Shields said, "there is much to be thankful for."
Tyler was now 7 months old, sprouting adorable curls. The only outward sign of his ordeal, a slight eyelid droop, would likely go away. He could perceive light with the eye, although the retina had not reattached. And his left eye remained fine, suggesting his mutation was a fluke, not heritable.
Shields foresaw "a wonderful, full life" for him.
So did his parents.
"We are humbled and have a deep sense of gratitude as Ty has turned a corner in this journey," Emily e-mailed relatives, friends, and doctors that night. "He has taught us at a young age to realize that each day is a gift and to live life to the fullest."
A video on
the novel treatment
for retinoblastoma
is at www.philly.com/
chemosurgery
Contact staff writer Marie McCullough at 215-854-2720 or mmccullough@phillynews.com.
