A huge thank you to Flynn and his mum Katie for helping us to raise awareness of retinoblastoma across the media, radio and TV.
Flynn Fairhurst was diagnosed with retinoblastoma, a cancer which affects the retina of children predominantly under six-years-old, in 2023 when he was still only seven months old.
Tests at Birmingham Children’s Hospital revealed that Flynn had tumours in both of his eyes, with those in his left eye significantly more developed than those in the right.
Over the next year-and-a-half Flynn underwent treatment at both Leicester Royal Infirmary (chemotherapy) and Birmingham Children’s Hospital (laser therapy) to save his life by reducing the size of the tumours.
Because of his age and relatively limited communication skills, it’s still to be determined just how much he can see through his left eye, if indeed anything. However, the tumours in Flynn’s right eye were around the edge, meaning his sight hasn’t been affected in that eye.
In recognition of his outstanding efforts and bravery, Flynn has been named a CHECT Champion by the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust (CHECT). The CHECT Champion Awards aim to recognise the courage, resilience and patience shown by all children affected by retinoblastoma (often referred to as Rb for short) throughout treatment and beyond.
“When Flynn was about three months old we noticed that his left eye wasn’t behaving in quite the same way as his right,” says his mum, Katie Fairhurst. “Something didn’t feel right, so we decided to get it checked out.
“With retinoblastoma, the awareness isn’t quite there in the same way as it is with other forms of cancer. That meant it took a few months for him to be referred to the orthoptic eye clinic at Leicester Royal Infirmary. From there he was referred to Birmingham for another thorough check-up, and that’s when we first heard it could be cancer.
“Since then it’s been a long road involving 18 months of treatment which stopped two months ago. At the moment he’s still being monitored to make sure nothing has changed and the treatment has worked, but the nature of retinoblastoma is that it can flair up at any time.
“Through it all Flynn has fought the fight each and every day. In fact he’s been an absolute trooper, always putting a smile on everyone’s faces despite being the poorly one. It’s as if nothing is going to stop him. He’s a hero, there’s no other word for it.”
CHECT has three vital missions – to offer one-to-one support for families and individuals affected by retinoblastoma, to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms to prompt earlier diagnosis, and to help fund research into the disease.
“So often, children affected by retinoblastoma face huge disruption, upset and distressing treatment not to mention follow-on check-ups,” says Richard Ashton, Chief Executive of the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust.
“We are delighted to recognise the wonderful courage and resilience shown by Flynn throughout his treatment and beyond. He really is a thoroughly deserving champion. A hero, as his mum says.
“While retinoblastoma is a rare cancer, we urge all parents to be aware of the symptoms and to have their child checked out if they have any concerns at all. The most common signs are a white glow in the eye which is visible in certain lighting or a flash photo, or a squint (lazy eye).”