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A West Australian mum said her son complained of losing his vision before he was diagnosed with a rare and potentially fatal disease.

Mum Christina Thomas, from Secret Harbour south of Perth, told Yahoo News Australia her eight-year-old son, Theo, first had trouble seeing in November while doing motocross.

Theo pulled into the pit area and said he was having trouble seeing because of a smudge, she said.

I told him to clean his goggles. He then went out to continue riding.

Theo kept racing but missed the chequered flag and did another lap. This continued a few times that afternoon.

Theo Thomas, 8, has a rare illness which affects the nervous system. Source: Supplied

On the following Monday, Ms Thomas received a phone call from her sons school.

They told me, Theo cant see, she said, adding Theo had been sitting at the front of the classroom.

He was a metre away from the whiteboard.

The boy was taken to an optometrist who noted vision loss in both eyes. He was rushed to Perth Childrens Hospital in the days that followed.

Theo had lost 100 per cent of the vision in his right eye and things only got worse.

The Secret Harbour boy was diagnosed with neuromyelitis optica in December. Its widely considered to be a similar illness to multiple sclerosis with no cure.

According to MS Australia, neuromyelitis optica, also known as NMO or Devics syndrome, involves the inflammation and destruction of optic nerves.

Patients with NMO have antibodies which mistakenly attack the nervous system.

The boy's receiving ongoing treatment but has some paralysis in his right arm and issues with his sight. Source: Supplied

NMO also affects the spinal cord and can leave patients paralysed.

Theos condition is rare too.

A study published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry in 2017 found just 193 cases of NMO recorded in Australia and New Zealand.

Adding to the rarity of Theos diagnosis, NMO is found to be more common in women, with females six times more likely to be affected by it than males.

Ms Thomas said her boy was in really good spirits and never complained.

He never says hes in pain, she said.

He just stands an inch away from the TV to play Minecraft.

When asked about Theos future, his mum said she was unsure how long he would survive.

I know this will most likely kill him, she said.

Its just a matter of time. Ive been crying so much. Im surprised I have any water left.

Theos condition is a matter of two steps forward and one backwards.

Earlier this week, the boy was told by doctors hed regained 50 per cent of his vision, but he had a lumbar puncture.

He also has permanent damage to his retinal nerves and currently is suffering some paralysis in his right arm.

Theo's mum said he's suffered permanent retinal damage. Source: Supplied

Story continues

Theo can still walk. Hes stopped motocross for a while, but the plan is for him to be back riding shortly after doctors gave him the green light.

He will also be back in the classroom.

Hes very shy and quietly spoken, Ms Thomas said.

But hes determined in what he does.

Ms Thomas has started a GoFundMe page to help her family as Theo undergoes ongoing medical treatment.

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'This will most likely kill him': Boy, 8, diagnosed with rare disease after losing eyesight - Yahoo News Australia

This entry was posted on January 11, 2020 at 5:44 pm and is filed under Eye Sight & Vision. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed. |