'I took my daughter, 9, to get new glasses - but what they found was truly terrifying'

Emma Mansfield and her girl Esme's sojourn to the optician's successful Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, went from breathtaking to horrifying the infinitesimal her eyes were inspected

A mum received the daze of her beingness during a regular sojourn to the optician's with her daughter.

Emma Mansfield took her "very excited" girl Esme, past nine, for a regular eye test successful April truthful she could prime retired immoderate caller glasses. But the amusive retail travel took a horrifying crook erstwhile the Specsavers optometrist successful Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, detected swelling connected the schoolgirl's optic nerve.

They referred young Esme for hospital testing, wherever it was discovered she had an egg-shaped tumour attached to her brain. The 35-year-old nursery teacher was stunned erstwhile MRI scans revealed the tumour connected Esme's optical nerve, tearfully pleading with the surgeon "please don't fto her die".

Esme underwent a gruelling seven-and-a-half-hour op connected June 13 past twelvemonth to region the people 2 cardinal neurocytoma. The upbeat schoolgirl, present 10, emerged from theatre with astir of the benign tumour removed - and requesting a McDonald's chickenhearted nugget meal.

Mum-of-three Emma said Esme is present backmost astatine schoolhouse and thriving acknowledgment to the tumour being spotted aboriginal and is urging radical to ne'er skip regular oculus tests arsenic it saved her life. Emma, from Scunthorpe, North Yorkshire, said: "Our advisor said 'we've recovered a wide connected Esme's brain'.

"I retrieve saying to him 'is it a encephalon tumour?' and helium said 'I'm truly sorry, yes it is'. It was my worst nightmare proceeding those words, it was precise scary. I conscionable said 'please don't fto her die'. We decided to telephone it an 'egg' to Esme, due to the fact that I was similar 'how bash I archer my nine-year-old?' - it was conscionable casual terminology to use.

"The oculus trial saved her life." Emma took competitory swimmer Esme for a regular oculus trial and to get caller glasses successful April 2024. Passing the missive illustration trial with flying colours, and nary symptoms to study to the optometrist, it appeared to beryllium a regular sojourn until helium looked astatine the backmost of Esme's eyes.

After examining her oculus much intimately with a hospital-grade OCT scan helium wrote a referral missive and told them to spell to infirmary immediately. After a bid of MRI scans, doctors told a devastated Emma and her 35-year-old electrical technologist hubby Daniel Mansfield that Esme had a encephalon tumour.

Emma said: "She wasn't poorly, determination were nary symptoms astatine all, it was conscionable a regular oculus test. She was precise excited she was going to get immoderate caller glasses. She was rather blessed with the lens check, the scan astatine the backmost of the oculus changed things. He showed america the representation of the backmost of the oculus and explained what helium saw - determination was a build-up of pressure, which was causing her optic nervus to beryllium swollen."

Esme went to an oculus session successful Grimsby, Lincolnshire, wherever she underwent a fewer MRI scans earlier being referred to Sheffield Children's Hospital. Emma said: "We went to Sheffield connected the Tuesday and she had country connected the Thursday. Where her tumour is increasing is attached to her optical nervus truthful it was rather casual to get to.

"It was atrocious waiting portion she was successful surgery, it was the longest day. After seven-and-a-half-hour encephalon country the archetypal happening she asked for successful betterment was a McDonald's, she had a yoghurt instead. It's a slow-growing tumour truthful it volition turn back. The surgeon didn't region it all, due to the fact that if helium had she would person mislaid her sight."

Esme was discharged from infirmary 4 days aboriginal and spent the remainder of the schoolhouse word astatine location recovering. Now, the bubbly small miss is backmost astatine schoolhouse part-time and competitory swimming and has six-monthly MRIs to show it. Emma said: "To conscionable her you'd ne'er cognize that successful June she was warring for her life, kids are truthful resilient."

"She's gone done it with a grin connected her face, she's the astir unthinkable small girl." Emma is sharing what Esme's been done to item the value of attending regular oculus tests. Emma said: "They're truthful important. If we'd not gone to that oculus trial we wouldn't person known she had this tumour increasing wrong her.

"Regular oculus tests are incredibly important, it's not conscionable your imaginativeness - they tin find truthful overmuch from looking astatine your eyes. I privation to propulsion the value of oculus tests and however important they are for children and adults arsenic well. Having 1 could perchance prevention a child's life. As atrocious arsenic the past six months person been, I'm truthful grateful to the optician astatine Specsavers for what helium did.

"I deliberation helium knew what helium saw and what was coming. I'm grateful for him and what helium did due to the fact that I inactive person years of adventures with her." Agyapal Dhaliwal, Ophthalmic Director astatine Specsavers Scunthorpe, said: "We are thrilled that Esme is recovering good and that her household are sharing their communicative to punctual others not to forgo their two-yearly oculus examinations.

"While Esme's information is rare, it does item that a sojourn to an optician tin sometimes observe an undiagnosed wellness issue. A thorough oculus trial volition cheque the wide wellness of the oculus and successful immoderate cases similar Esme, rise a interest that needs further investigation.

"We would besides impulse radical to marque an assignment with their optician close distant if they are experiencing thing antithetic specified arsenic blurred imaginativeness oregon predominant headaches. It is ever champion to beryllium overly cautious erstwhile it comes to our wellness and your optician volition beryllium much than blessed to perceive to your concerns."