'Golden glow' spotted around baby's eye

Baby Mason was found to be 100 per cent blind in his left eye after photos revealed a 'golden glow'. Photo / Facebook

A standard happy snap session could end up saving 16-week-old Mason's life after his mum noticed all the photos she took showed a 'golden glow' in her baby's eye.

Taranaki woman Sarah Bowers said she was taking photographs of her baby boy by the fireplace when she noticed a golden glow in Mason's left eye in every single image. It could not be seen with the naked eye, stuff.co.nz reported.

She remembered reading an article about Coat's Disease while she was pregnant, a rare eye cancer of which the 'golden glow' can be a telltale symptom.

The knowtheglow.org website describes 'the glow' as "an abnormal red eye reflex, [which] appears as a white or gold pupil in photographs. Its reflective shine is an indicator of several potentially devastating and preventable childhood eye diseases".

Ms Bowers, 28, took her son to the doctor the next day and was immediately referred to an eye specialist, who confirmed that Mason was 100 per cent blind in his left eye.

"I was completely shocked and devastated to to learn this news," Ms Bowers said.

The family then flew to Auckland, where an eye doctor recommended Mason's eye be removed to minimise the risk of disease spreading, despite still not knowing exactly what was wrong with it.

"Making the decision was the hardest thing I have ever had to do, but what it came down to was potentially my baby boy's life, or his eye," Ms Bowers told stuff.co.nz.

While they await surgery later this month, the family has set up a Givealittle page to help cover the costs of Mason's ongoing medical treatment, and a Facebook page to provide updates on his progress.

- nzherald.co.nz