Parents love to share photos of their children on social media — it's something that we take great joy in. For starters, when we're first-time parents, we just want the world to see what we've created.
More so, we love to reach out to other parents to share moments of solidarity and even look for advice. The internet has become a hub for parents to look to each other for support and guidance during times where they need it the most.
When our kids develop something that looks out of the ordinary, we start to panic. Our immediate reaction is to usually get on WedMD and diagnose whatever is going on ourselves. But, that can be a slippery slope.
Looking to other parents for advice is a great way to ease our nerves when it comes to raising our kids. You know the saying they always throw around about raising babies: "It takes a village."
Mom Jasmine Martin noticed something about her daughter, Sariyah, that left her very concerned and worried that something could be wrong with her. As any mom, she was panicking about what it could truly be.
"Last Thurs I noticed the glow in her eye was drastically larger and looked like a white hole. I’ve noticed it over the past few wks [sic] but it was small, and only showed at certain angles," the mom wrote on Instagram.
"I regret it now, by not thinking anymore of it. I just had a feeling she needed to be seen. Her dr got her in and said it was nothing serious. She said they’d just done an eye exam at her well check, but they did another one. She said her red reflexes were good, and googled stuff on cloudy eyes," she wrote.
"I still wasn’t reassured, call it a mother’s intuition I suppose. But she referred her to an ophthalmologist. However, she let me know it would take weeks if not longer. The next part of the story is nothing short of a God story," she said.
"A doctor/friend from work saw the photo I posted and messaged me. She reached out to an eye doctor and she wanted to see her immediately Monday(today). All weekend it felt like I was just holding my breath. 'She has a tumor in her eye, and there’s a lot of seeds in the back.' It was like I was sitting outside of my body in that moment," she wrote.
"The rest was a blur, and friends from work walked over and played with Riyah while I talked with the doctor. St. Judes wants us there today, so we can meet with a doctor that specializes with retinoblastoma in the morning. She said I need to plan to stay for a week," she added.
"I’m scared, confused, angry heartbroken and everything else. I’m upset her pediatrician said it was all fine, but now I know they just don’t see it that often. When this is over I’ll do my best to make sure there’s more awareness and education, so that all parents will be taken seriously should they ever notice it in their child’s eyes... We have no clue what to expect until the MRI, so please just pray for her. Sariyah Rose is a fighter," she said.
The power of social media can't be underestimated. Wishing the Martin family all the best and a speedy recovery for Sariyah.
