Nearly two weeks after giving birth to what looked like a healthy baby, an Arizona mom has discovered that her little son has no eyeballs at all. The mother Kelly Lopez had a very normal pregnancy and no complications throughout that time, with even the ultrasound failing to detect the problem with the eyes.
The boy was born in Mesa, Arizona three months ago and all seemed to be good about it but for the fact that it was not opening its eyes. Kelly initially did not bother much about it and thought that the new born probably had difficulty opening eyes because of a swollen face. She came to know that the little one, named Richie, was born without any eyes only after an MRI was conducted on him after 13 days.
“I think we were just in shock. Obviously very upsetting,” she told 3TV. “The first thought through your mind is, how did this even happen and how was it not even caught?”
The doctors however explained that both the eyelids of the baby were closed due to which it was difficult, if not impossible, to notice the missing eyeballs.
The three month old Richie has already been enrolled in programs for blind babies and can be seen wearing baby sunglasses now. Doctors looking into his condition have now found out that Richie’s case is not unique. A baby born in Denver, Colorado, last year was also diagnosed with Anophthalmia, which is the total absence of eye tissue (or the apparent absence of the ocular globe), as described by the CDC.
“Expanders were sutured into Richie Lopez’s eye sockets to keep them spaced and ready for future prosthetic replacements, but he rubbed them out. His mother was able to re-insert one, an experience she described as “emotional” but necessary. The family dog is believed to have eaten the other,” it was learned.
However, the mother and the rest of the family have not given up hope. Since the doctors looking up Richie’s case have found that he does have an optic nerve, the mom hopes the little one will be able to see.