Know the Glow to Protect Against Childhood Diseases that Cause Blindness

When Megan Webber noticed a glow appearing in several photos of her 5-year-old son Benjamin's eyes, she didn’t think much of it. Must be red eye or the camera flash, she thought.

But when Megan's sister mentioned that she'd seen the same glow in one of Benjamin's eyes in all of her photos of him, too – and that she heard it could be the sign of something serious – Megan took note.

One in 80 kids under the age of 9 have a white or gold glow that appears in images of their eyes. The glow can be an indicator of several kinds of childhood diseases that cause blindness.

Megan took Benjamin to the pediatrician, and then to the pediatric opthamologist. They discovered Benjamin was essentially blind in his left eye, and scans revealed a huge white mass in the same eye.

Doctors immediately referred Megan and her son to Children's Hospital Los Angeles. Benjamin underwent surgery and was later diagnosed with Coats' Disease: a rare eye disorder that causes blindness.

It's because of close attention to Benjamin's eye health that he was able to get the early treatment he needed. Pledge to know the glow: Check for warning signs in your kids' eyes and ask your friends and family to do the same with their loved ones.