Diagnosis: Coloboma
Christina and her husband Chris were so excited to be carrying twins!!!! Christina had sailed through the first two trimesters and had a very normal pregnancy until at 35 weeks gestation when things took a dramatic turn. The doctors recognized that she had low amniotic fluid and an emergency c-section was required. She was very concerned about the wellness of her twin girls at the time of birth. Too her relief, though, both girls were born with healthy and normal.
As most new parents, Christina took many photos of her adorable babies. Many of these photos were taken with a flash. She never noticed the consistent Glow that was there but not recognized in her daughter Aubrey’s left eye. For four years, Christina continued to photograph her sweet girls and the Glow continued to appear. Looking back now, Christina says the Glow was in most of Aubrey’s photos since nearly the time of her birth. The Glow was subtle and Christina never knew this was a sign that could indicate any problem with Aubrey’s vision.
It was not until Aubrey’s four year checkup that Christina was first informed there may be a concern. Her pediatrician did a routine red eye reflex test and found her to have an abnormal reflex in her left eye. Concerned, he sent them the very next day to Akron Children’s hospital for an evaluation. It was there that Aubrey was diagnosed with Coloboma. Coloboma is a condition where a hole develops in one of the structure of the eye. Most often the hole develops in utero. In many cases of Coloboma there is a “keyhole drummond” or a keyhole shaped defect of the pupil. However, in Aubrey’s case, there were no visual signs of Colomboma. She was diagnosed with Coloboma of the optic disk.
For Aubrey, the Glow in her photographs was the ONLY outward indication of her condition. After her diagnosis, Christina discovered that Aubrey had visual impairment in her left eye. They are now in the process of determining the significance of that visual loss. Aubrey is also very sensitive to light. She not only wears glasses to correct her vision, but also must wear sunglasses to make her more comfortable with bright lights.
Christina wishes she knew of the sign that was ever present in Aubrey’s photos. She is determined to spread awareness of the Glow to as many as possible. She wants other parents to be aware of the Glow so that they can get their children the care they need when it first appears. Please share Aubrey’s story and her sweet photos to help us educate more parents about the significance of a Glow in children’s photographs. Aubrey is lucky to have such a caring family there to support her and we are honored to share her story.
