Hollie was diagnosed with Retinoblastoma when she was 21months old. She's had always been a happy, independent confident little baby. She loved her food and her sleep but she always loved her big brother more. When Hollie was diagnosed it was like a bomb was dropped into our family bubble. It was devastating to find that our little baby girl had a tumour contained inside of her right eye and she had lost over 90% of her vision. We began her treatment journey almost immediately after diagnosis. Her team of Dr's could save her eye and possibly her vision.

Hollie went through 3 rounds of interarterial chemotherapy. At first her tumour shrunk significantly but for the second two rounds, it didn't respond as well. She then had a fourth IAC with an additional drug to shock the tumour. This completley wiped Hollie out. She couldn't sit up or lie down properly for 4weeks. She suffered from extreme imflamation and had a build up of fluid inside of her eye. Her retina had completley detached inside her eye. She also developed a bleed at the back of her eye. Hollies eye was swollen and her iris had contracted. Her eyeball looked yellow and blood shot and she struggled with pain. She lost her appetite and her sleep was heavily disrupted. For a period of time we could only get hollie to take fluid from us in a siringe. She couldnt play or interact for long. We did our best to get through that Christmas. Seeing her so poorly was heartbreaking. They also found that Hollie had a small seed of a tumour in her left eye. This was treated with laser and a few rounds of laser treatment over a couple of months it was inactive. We were told that both tumours appeared to be inactive in the new year but her right eye had been damaged from the treatment. Hollie had also had a liquid biopsy to give us her genetic profile - that came back and showed that she has a genetic defect on her RB gene so she is susptible to two other forms of childhood cancer.

Hollies was given a rest from treatment for a month after having both eyes checked. She had an MRI which told us her tumour hadn't spread to her optic nerve thankfully. Her eye had tried to repair itself and she had developed blood vessels on her iris. Her pupil had enlarged and her eye was slightly sunken. We had been told that Hollie wouldn't regain any vision in her eye at this point. We were now trying to save her eye for cosmetic reasons and to avoid the trauma of surgery and having to live with a prostetic eye.

Hollie had 3 rounds of chemo therapy injections to stop her eye from filling with blood. The aim of the injections was to stop any new blood vessels from developing. The new blood vessels were filling the inside of Hollies eye with blood and it was becoming harder to see the tumour inside of her eye and monitor any activity. Towards the end of the chemo injections, Hollies lens had become cloudy and to continue treatment would have to remove the lens. This risk of this was spreading the cancer into other layers of her eye so this to us was not worth the risk of cancer spreading. After 3 rounds of chemo injections, blood had not reduced enough that it was safe to monitor. Hollies eye had discoloured at this point, there was almost no iris left and her pupil was enlarged and frosted. Her eye was heavily sunken in and the pressure inside her eye had become unrecordable. Hollie developed a baby acne/rash across her face. Her body was covered in patches of excema. Her poor little body was so run down and tired. As parents we decided that it was best for Hollie to reduce the number the anastethics she was having, stop treatment and to remove the eye. Take away any pain it might of been causing her and the risk of not being able to safely monitor her eye. It was a difficult decision to make and we had been talking about it for a few months preparing ourselves for the life change it would mean for our daughter. We became scared of them taking her eye out but we became more scared of them leaving it in. We decided we couldn't live with the risk of Hollie becoming older and it being more traumatic to her if anything was to happen.

Hollie underwent an MRI at the beginning of May 2025. This showed her optic nerve was now compromised either due to tumour or treatment. It was taken out of our hands by her team of doctors who said in order to protect Hollies life - her eye needed to be removed. Hollies eye was removed just over a week later. She was fitted with a prostetic and we are still in the healing process for this. We had the news that Hollies optic nerve was just damaged by treatment and there did not appear to be any tumour. This was the start of a new journey. We have closed the chapter on her poorly right eye. Hollie is still suceptable to developing tumours in her left eye due to her genetics for a few years but as of her last appointment when her eye was removed - she was cancer free. Hollie is still waiting for her 2nd birthday and when it does come - her chances of developing any new tumours will start to decline.

She is back to being a happy, fiercly independent, funny bubbly sassy pants who still adores her brother. She loves bluey, Disney princesses and Mario. She's happiest trying on shoes and handbags. She's an absolute inspiration how she's dealt with all of this. She has helped both her parents get through this by bouncing back and fighting this all the way. It became her "normal" for a long time. But since her eye has been removed she's developed a lovely spring in her step. She's singing, dancing, laughing and a much happier little girl.

Love you always Hollie. You'll never walk alone.

Colette & Kev - Mummy & Daddy x x

The Childhood Eye Cancer Trust (CHECT) stands as a beacon of hope for families navigating the challenging journey of retinoblastoma, a rare childhood cancer of the eye. CHECT is dedicated to providing lifelong assistance, starting from the moment a child is diagnosed and continuing through treatment, into adulthood, and beyond.

With three main strands to their work—offering vital support and information to families, funding groundbreaking research into prevention and treatment, and raising awareness among health professionals and the public—CHECT plays an essential role in transforming lives. However, CHECT receives no government funding. This is where we come in. We invite you to join us in this personal challenge to raise funds for this incredible cause. Your contribution will help ensure that families facing retinoblastoma receive the support they desperately need. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of those affected by this devastating illness.