THE Brandee Artale takes care of the newborn daughter in his late last year when he noticed something different in his daughter’s eyes.
“I looked at him and I thought there was something strange in his eyes”, Artale, of Bellevue, Nebraska, told “Good Morning America.” “They look blurry.”
Artale and her husband, Andrew, took their daughter, Madison, to their pediatrician, who referred them to Dr. Paul Rychwalski, a pediatric ophthalmologist and chief of the eye clinic at Nebraska Children’s Hospital.
After almost nine months of travel which involves three operationsthe ophthalmologist credits the immediate action of the parents that the little girl can see now. “It’s very important that parents don’t go against their instincts and want to find more.”Rychwalski told “GMA.”
Last October, Rychwalski was diagnosed with Madison suffering from congenital cataracts, a condition that is also seen in young children or at birth and is so rare that it occurs in only about three out of 10,000 births.
With the descent waterfall, the lens of the eye is cloudy instead of clear.
In addition to the cloudy layer of the eyes that Madison’s parents noticed, other symptoms of congenital cataracts include abnormally fast eye movements, the loss of the red pupil reflex in photographs and the child’s lack of awareness of the world. around him, according to the US National Library of Medicine.
In Madison’s case, diagnosed with cataracts in both eyes, a diagnosis that Brandee Artale says she and her husband weren’t ready for with their first child.
While cases of congenital cataracts are often detected during an eye exam done immediately after birth, the Artales said they had no indication that anything was wrong with Madison’s vision.
“We’re not ready at all,” Brandee Artale talks about her daughter’s diagnosis. “We think he’s a healthy, happy baby.”
To save her vision, Madison underwent two eye surgeries after her diagnosis.
His ophthalmologist said the operations were urgent. “We want to remove this lens clouding as soon as possible, preferably in the first six weeks of life,” he declared. “The brain is not fully active for the first six weeks, so we have some flexibility, but after that time starts to count.”
With the surgeries behind her, Madison got her first pair of custom glasses at 4 months old. an experience his parents say changed him.
“At first he struggles with it and then eventually he sees things. He looked at me as if to say :Mom i saw you” and i cried”said Brandee Artale. “You can see he understands everything.”
His father added: “When I look at him and see his eyes, especially when he’s happy, it’s joy.”
Because Madison’s cataracts were detected so early, the woman’s doctor said the 9-month-old already had them. “excellent prognosis for his vision. If carefully monitored it will reach a very good percentage of clear vision in each eye – as long as there are no complications.
For their part, the parents they expressed gratitude for the fast service of doctors.
The ophthalmologist sent a message via GMA to all parents: “The most important thing is to know your child and don’t be afraid to talk to your doctor if something is wrong. You will be alert.”