When Heather and Sean Henry brought their newborn daughter Holland to her pediatrician for her first well-check at just five days old, they had no idea that visit would set in motion a life-changing journey. Heather noticed the doctor lingering a bit longer than usual while performing the red reflex test. Their pediatrician, Dr. Bridgewater, was thorough and honest. She explained that she wasn’t seeing the red reflex in Holland’s right eye—something that could signal a serious issue. After calling in a colleague to confirm the result, Heather and Sean were told it could be a congenital cataract or, more frighteningly, retinoblastoma.
Devastated and overwhelmed, they were grateful when Dr. Bridgewater insisted she wouldn’t let them leave the office until Holland had an appointment with a pediatric ophthalmologist. That same day, an exam confirmed that Holland had a dense congenital cataract—a condition they had never heard of in children. The ophthalmologist referred them to Dr. Serena Wang at Children’s Health in Plano, Texas, for ongoing care and eventual surgery.
At just five weeks old, Holland underwent her first surgery to remove the cataract. Because infants’ eyes are still growing, doctors didn’t implant an intraocular lens (IOL) right away. Instead, Holland wore a contact lens in her right eye and patched her stronger eye daily to encourage vision development. This routine continued for four years—years filled with perseverance and resilience. Heather and Sean remember the challenge of placing a contact lens in their tiny baby’s eye and the mountains of patches they used as Holland grew and became more adept at pulling them off. But they remained determined.
In September 2023, Holland underwent her second eye surgery, this time to implant the permanent lens. During the same procedure, she also had strabismus surgery to correct a slight turn in her eye. Since then, she’s worn glasses and continued her vision therapy through patching. But as she began kindergarten, Holland became more self-conscious about wearing an eye patch during the school day. Her care team introduced a groundbreaking alternative: Luminopia, an FDA-approved virtual reality (VR) treatment designed to replace traditional patching. Each day, Holland watches an hour of specially tailored kid-friendly shows through the VR headset, which helps stimulate vision development in the weaker eye—a cutting-edge solution that has been a game-changer for her and her family.
Today, Holland is a happy, confident six-year-old who loves tumbling, kindergarten, and all the joyful chaos of childhood. Despite being born with a smaller right eye and a diagnosis of Persistent Fetal Vasculature (PFV), her journey has been remarkably smooth—thanks to early detection, expert care, and unwavering parental support. Her parents often reflect on the heartbreak they narrowly avoided, knowing how different life could have been had the diagnosis been retinoblastoma instead.Heather turned their experience into advocacy. Through Holland’s Instagram, Holland’s View to Vision, and her ongoing participation in support groups like “Children with Congenital Cataracts,” she helps guide and reassure parents facing similar journeys. From feeling overwhelmed in the early days to becoming a source of comfort and encouragement for others, Heather and Sean’s story is a testament to the power of early intervention and the resilience of children like Holland—who now shines not only with the glow that led to her diagnosis but with the bright future that lies ahead.
