Diagnosis: Amblyopia
In the first few months of Isabella’s life, her mother, Jessica, noticed that her eyes would sometimes not track together. Jessica knew that this was perfectly normal for a newborn and did not give it much thought. However, by the time Isabella was 8 months old, this misalignment did not improve. Rather, Jessica noticed the wandering eyes more often. She was concerned and took Isabella to see an ophthalmologist, Dr. Charles McCash at Children’s Eye Center of South Texas.
After a thorough examination, Dr. McCash diagnosed Isabella with Amblyopia.
Amblyopia is a condition in which the pathways from the brain to the eye are not properly developed, often causing reduced vision and what is commonly known as a lazy eye. Dr. McCash suggested Isabella begin a patching regimen to see if they would be able to improve this communication from her brain to her eyes, strengthen her eye muscles and correct the misalignment. Isabella tried patching therapy for 4 months, but found no significant improvement. She was now 18-months-old.
Dr. McCash recommended Isabella have a surgical procedure to tighten the muscles at the outer edge of her eyes.
In March of 2017, Isabella had this surgery. Jessica said they noticed some improvement in the year following the procedure, however they felt her right eye was still not tracking perfectly along with the left. Dr. McCash recommended that Isabella have a second surgery to tighten the inner muscles of this eye. In March of 2018, one year after the first surgery, Isabella had this second procedure. Again, Jessica felt there was improvement, but again she still had a slight misalignment in her left eye. Isabella had a final surgery last November. Since this surgery her eyes have been in near perfect alignment. Her vision is also nearly perfect as well. Dr. McCash is very optimistic that she will not need any further surgical procedures and that her eyes will stay in proper alignment.
Jessica knows that “the Glow” can occur in flash photographs of children with Amblyopia, but she did not notice a “Glow” in any of Isabella’s photos until after her diagnosis.
Jessica wants to share her story to inform other families of this possibility of “the Glow” and to encourage them to seek medical assistance if they notice this or anything out of the ordinary with their children’s eyes. She is happy that she was able to give Isabella the care she needed in time to correct her vision issues.
Isabella is now an energetic and active 3-year-old. She loves to sing and dance to songs from the movie Frozen. Isabella will be checked every three months to ensure that her alignment remains stable.
