Photo © iStock
Mother’s intuition and optometrist’s quick action led to rare cancer diagnosis.
Kaitlyn Winterink woke up one morning and noticed something odd about her infant son, Nash. His right eye was drifting slightly outward. No one else seemed to notice it—not friends, not even her family doctor.
But Kaitlyn trusted her gut.
That subtle sign turned out to be the first visible clue of retinoblastoma, a rare and aggressive eye cancer that primarily affects infants and toddlers. What followed was a whirlwind of medical appointments, urgent referrals, and one critical eye exam that changed everything.
The Moment Everything Changed
“I knew something was off,” Kaitlyn recalled. “No one else saw it, but I just couldn’t shake the feeling.”
After a pediatrician suspected strabismus, commonly referred to as “wandering eye,” the family was referred to a pediatric ophthalmologist. As they awaited the next steps, Kaitlyn grew increasingly concerned. Her son’s eye appeared to be drifting outward more consistently, and she felt an urgent need to act.
“I just had this feeling that something more was going on,” she said. “So I started making calls.”
Determined to get her son’s eyes thoroughly checked, Kaitlyn reached out to local optometrists who specialize in pediatric care. She was quickly connected with Dr. Fanny Szutu, an optometrist in Bowmanville, Ontario, who saw Nash within days.
Diagnosis in Days, Not Months
During the exam, Dr. Szutu noted the outward turn and immediately performed a pupil dilation to get a better look inside Nash’s eye.
“There was an abnormally large mass in his right eye,” she said. “After the dilation, I was fairly certain it was retinoblastoma.”
Retinoblastoma affects approximately one in 18,000 children globally. If caught early, it is highly treatable. But if left undetected, the cancer can spread rapidly through the optic nerve—the connection between the eye and the brain—becoming life-threatening.
“Most of us only see this in textbooks,” said Dr. Szutu. “But when you do see it, you have to act immediately.”
She referred the family to SickKids Hospital the same day. Within 24 hours, Nash was under the care of a specialized oncology team. Just six days after that initial eye exam, he began chemotherapy.
That one eye exam saved our son's sight—and maybe his life.
Crisis Averted
By the time of diagnosis, Nash’s tumour was dangerously close to his optic nerve.
“If we had waited for the original referral,” Kaitlyn said, “we might’ve had a very different outcome. We’re talking about vision loss—or worse.”
Thanks to early intervention, Nash retained his eye and partial vision. Today, he is in remission and thriving. Both he and his baby brother—who shares the same genetic variant—continue to receive regular monitoring at SickKids.
“He’s strong, brave, and thriving,” Kaitlyn said. “You’d never know what he’s been through.”
Why Every Baby Needs an Eye Exam
Kaitlyn and Dr. Szutu now share Nash’s story as a call to action for all parents: book an eye exam by six months of age.
“Babies can’t tell you they can’t see,” said Dr. Szutu. “Modern smartphones now suppress the red reflex—the glow that used to help parents spot problems in photos.” So many signs of serious issues like retinoblastoma can go unnoticed without a proper exam.”
Despite OHIP covering annual eye exams for all Ontarians 19 and under, just 147,318 of Ontario’s 870,101 children aged zero to five received an exam in 2024. That’s only 17 per cent, meaning more than 722,783 preschool-aged children missed out on this potentially life-saving care.
Many of those missed cases could include strabismus (commonly known as wandering eyes), or, in rare cases like Nash’s, eye cancer.
Kaitlyn assumed she would’ve noticed the classic warning sign—a glowing white pupil in flash photos—but never did. Later, she learned that by forcing the flash in a dark room while filming video, parents can sometimes recreate the red reflex and detect abnormalities.
“When we finally tried it that way, his eye glowed like the moon,” she said. “But by then, we already had the diagnosis. I just want other parents to know—there are ways to spot things early. And an eye exam is the best first step.”
83% of Ontario Preschoolers are Missing Early Eye Exams
More Than Just Vision
While many people associate optometrists with vision correction, Dr. Szutu emphasized their broader role in healthcare.
“We’re often the first to catch conditions that impact not just vision, but a child’s life,” she said. “In Nash’s case, it was cancer. And we caught it in time.”
Kaitlyn says her gratitude is immeasurable.
“She saw us when others said no. She trusted my concern. And she changed the course of our son’s life.”
Trust Your Gut
When asked what advice she would offer to other parents, Kaitlyn doesn’t hesitate. “Trust your gut. Always. You know your child better than anyone.”
She also urges families to act early—not to wait until something seems seriously wrong.
“I didn’t know babies should get an eye exam at six months,” she said. “No one told us that. But now I know—it could save your child’s sight, or even their life.”
BOOK AN EYE EXAM
First exam: By 6 months of age
Annual exams: Starting at age 2
Covered by OHIP: For all Ontarians under 20
No Referral Needed!
Get your free copy of Global Heroes, jam-packed with positive news, straight in your inbox.
OAO is the designated representative for optometry and meets with the provincial government on its members’ behalf concerning OHIP coverage, optometric billing codes and procedures, and other services.