Parents urge families not to wait for warning signs before booking children’s eye exams

When Hollis was just one year old, she appeared to be a happy, healthy child with bright eyes and no signs of illness. During a routine eye exam with a Airdrie optometrist, Dr. Jared Long, however, her family received life-changing news: Hollis had bilateral retinoblastoma, a rare and aggressive form of eye cancer growing in both of her eyes.

The diagnosis came without any warning signs. Hollis showed no symptoms, no vision concerns, and nothing that would have prompted her parents to seek medical attention. The cancer was discovered only because of a comprehensive eye exam.

“If we had waited, Hollis may have lost her eyes — or worse,” Hollis’s mother, Bre. “The tumours were aggressive and rapidly growing. An eye exam saved her life. It’s that simple.”

Retinoblastoma is a rare childhood cancer that develops in the retina, most commonly affecting children under the age of five. Early detection is critical. If left untreated, the cancer can spread beyond the eye and become life-threatening.

According to Dr. Jared Long, Hollis’s case highlights why early eye examinations are so important, even when a child appears healthy.

“There were no warning signs that Hollis’s parents could have spotted at home,” said Dr. Long. “Her eyes were bright, she was meeting milestones, and there was nothing to suggest a serious health issue. A routine eye exam allowed us to detect the cancer early enough for treatment to begin before the disease progressed further.”

Today, Hollis’s story serves as a powerful reminder that routine eye exams are about more than vision. Optometrists can detect a range of health conditions, including serious diseases that may not present obvious symptoms.

Her family hopes that by sharing their experience, more parents will prioritize comprehensive eye exams for their children.

“We never imagined that a routine eye exam would uncover cancer,” Hollis’s mother, Bre. “We’re sharing Hollis’s story because no family should assume that no symptoms mean no problem. That appointment changed and likely saved our daughter’s life.”

The Alberta Association of Optometrists recommends that infants receive their first comprehensive eye exam between six and nine months of age. Children should then have at least one eye exam between the ages of two and five, another at the start of kindergarten, and annual eye exams throughout their school years. Parents of kindergarten-aged children are also encouraged to take advantage of the Eye See…Eye Learn™ program. If an eye exam determines that a child needs glasses, a free pair is provided through participating optometry clinics. Routine eye exams throughout childhood help ensure vision problems are identified early, supporting healthy development, learning, and overall wellbeing.

To book your routine eye exam or to find an optometrist near you, visit optometrists.ab.ca.