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BARDSTOWN, Kentucky (WLKY) — A 4-year-old boy from Bardstown, Kentucky, is back in school after a routine preschool eye exam uncovered a rare and life-threatening eye cancer.
Hayden Rouse was 3 years old when his mother, Terra, took him to have a routine checkup for his hemangioma. Terra said at that appointment the doctor noticed a mass.
“It was a very large tumor, unfortunately. But it sat in a good spot that he was able to get arterial chemo,” Rouse said.
Hayden had retinoblastoma, a rare childhood eye cancer that, if caught early enough, can be cured.
Hayden and his family spent months traveling to Wisconsin for treatment. While the chemotherapy successfully eliminated the tumor, it caused significant side effects, including shrinking his eye and blurring his vision.
“On July 29, we took him in. You know, he wore his Spider-Man costume to the O.R., and he had his eye removed,” Rouse said. “And now, we’re done.”
After completing his treatment, Hayden celebrated by ringing the bell, a milestone for cancer patients.
“He’s not missed a beat. He has confirmed to us that he was not using that eye, because there’s been no adaptation for him. Within two days of being home, he was off. He was on running, playing, jumping all the things,” said Rouse. “We’ve gotten Hayden back. And that has been the biggest thing for me.”
Now, Hayden is back to school and enjoying life as a typical 4-year-old.
His mom said he will get his prosthetic eye, complete with an engraving of his favorite superhero, Spider-Man, in a few weeks.
Dr. Heather Felton with Norton Children’s echoed Rouse’s message about the importance of routine checkups.
“The whole reason we’re doing it is to check for things like abnormalities in the eye or in the ear. Sometimes I pick up things like a new heart murmur or a mass in the abdomen. There could be all kinds of different things,” Felton said.
“Hayden’s life was saved by a required preschool eye exam, fortunately. Or else we might have not known for months,” Rouse said.
To help the Rouse family with medical expenses, proceeds from the “Buck Haven” Car Show on Oct. 17 in New Haven, Kentucky, will go to the family. All cars are welcome to enter.
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