Instead, they grow out of control and develop into a cancerous tumour called retinoblastoma. Later, they stop growing and develop into mature retinal cells that can detect light (the role of the retina).īut sometimes, they do not stop growing or mature.
In the very early stages the eyes have cells called retinoblasts that grow very fast, explains Cancer Research UK. She said: “I am so grateful that I found my occultist Christina King at the Center for Ocular Prosthetics in Portland – she is incredible. She has now gained a newfound confidence and has decided to explore different options – and has become creative. I made the active choice to stop saying mean things to myself and only allow myself to feed my brain positivity and tell myself good things.” “And then one day it hit me: I am who I am. She added: “I was so unhappy with how I looked that I really didn’t do much outside of the home for almost a year. The hairstylist said she had previously been seeing a guy, who after a few dates told her that her eye freaked him out and that he wouldn’t be able to see passed it.
“I was very aware of the people looking at me, I had people say mean things and talk to me differently”, she told NeedToKnow. “Prior to this surgery most people wouldn’t have even noticed my eye, but afterwards it was very apparent. “A surgery where I had expected the outcome to result in more mobility of the eye and a more realistic looking prosthetic became the exact opposite. Rachel, who lives in Portland, Oregon, US said after surgery and the healing process, her eye lost most of its ability to blink. However children nicknamed her “Cyclopes” as a result.īut it wasn’t until her mid-20s that she suffered any self-confidence issues, after having a surgery designed to replace the implant holding her prosthetic in place. She was fitted with her first prosthetic when she was 20-months-old and recalls not being massively affected by having just one eye and always wore a prosthetic. Now Rachel is raising awareness of the condition and has even grown the confidence to experiment with different prosthetics.
This is a cancer that is found in the retina and most commonly affects young children.ĭoctors explained there was no chance of saving the eye and it had to be removed urgently to prevent the illness spreading.įour days later, the youngster had the eyeball removed and luckily, she says she doesn’t remember much of her journey. In October 1991, Rachel, now 32, was diagnosed with retinoblastoma. Her right eye appeared to be emitting a glow in the image – a key sign of cancer or eye disease. He asked her parents for pictures of her and saw a sure sign that something was amiss.
Rachel Mayta seemed perfectly healthy until she was 18 months old and a doctor spotted something strange in her eye. Jam PressNow Rachel has learnt to live with her condition and even has a glow in the dark eye Taking pictures of your little one is a normal part of them growing up Jam Press Jam PressRachel Mayta’s parents were asked to show doctors photos of her when she was a youngster, which is when the experts detected eye cancer It charts special moments, but for one family, it revealed a terrifying illness in their daughter. TAKING pictures of your little one is a key part of them growing up.