Ava grace was a happy, healthy toddler — until a sudden change in her eye revealed a rare childhood cancer.

Ava Grace was just 14 months old when her parents, Vicki Cooper-Bird and Ian Bird, noticed something unusual after she developed hand, foot and mouth disease. Within hours, her light blue iris had turned dark blue, and her pupil was no longer responding normally.

Unable to see the back of Ava’s eye, her GP referred her for urgent assessment. She spent three days in hospital undergoing tests and monitoring.

An ultrasound revealed that the pressure inside her eye was more than twice the normal level. Doctors suspected retinoblastoma, a rare cancer affecting the eye.

Ava had suffered complete retinal detachment and had already lost sight in the affected eye. At a specialist clinic in Birmingham, doctors confirmed a 22mm grade E tumour, the most advanced category, and diagnosed retinoblastoma on November 2.

Vicki, 37, said: “Ava’s diagnosis completely blindsided us. We had no idea.

“It was really aggressive, and there wasn’t anything they could do to save the eye. We just sat in the car and cried.”

Thankfully, the cancer had not spread along the optic nerve, meaning Ava did not need chemotherapy before surgery.

On November 14, just three days after her parents’ wedding, Ava underwent surgery to remove the affected eye.

Recovery brought further challenges. She struggled to adjust to her prosthetic eye and often pulled it out, requiring hospital visits two or three times a week. During her first year, she tried six different prosthetic eyes.

Ava also experienced infections, healing difficulties, sleep problems and emotional challenges. Vicki said her daughter often wakes four to six times each night. She now attends play therapy and has been prescribed melatonin.

Now three, Ava attends a specialist clinic at Birmingham Women’s and Children’s Hospital, one of only two centres in the UK offering retinoblastoma treatment. Her parents travel 200 miles each way, and she has attended 64 appointments over the past two years.

Despite the challenges, Ava is now in remission, although her family knows that ongoing medical care remains an important part of her journey.

During her surgery, a nurse gave Ava a cuddly penguin named Pip, complete with a removable eye like hers. The toy has since become a comforting companion during hospital visits.

This Christmas, Vicki is encouraging parents to learn the warning signs of retinoblastoma, which can sometimes appear in flash photographs.

One important sign to watch for is an unusual white pupil or glow in one eye, while the other eye shows a normal red reflection. Parents who notice this should seek prompt medical advice.