Poppy-May Leeds, 9, had come for a routine eye test at optician Mrudang Patel. But, that day, during the examination, the man quickly realized that something was wrong.
Taking decisive emergency measures, the optometrist, by his diagnosis, thus saved the little girl from a potentially fatal crisis, allowing her to be quickly taken care of and, in fact, saving her life.
Worrying edema
It was a miracle that happened the day 9-year-old Poppy-May Leeds crossed paths with Mrudang Patel, an optician. The girl had an appointment for a routine eye test. However, during the examination, the man realizes that something is wrong with Poppy who suffers from blurred vision and mild headaches. “We are trained to look for a set of problems, but it is very rare,” Mrudang Patel told the Mirror newspaper. During his research, he sees a papilledema. “It’s the term for swelling of the optic nerves at the back of the eye as a result of increased intracranial pressure,” he explained. Worried, he refers Poppy-May for urgent medical attention.
A deadly disease
Poppy-May is thus transferred to an emergency eye clinic for an MRI. As soon as her results came back, the doctors transferred her to a King’s College Hospital ambulance in London. The young girl was diagnosed with hydrocephalus, an accumulation of fluid in the brain, which can be fatal if left untreated. The buildup can lead to pressure on the brain and brain damage. “The doctors told us that it was possible that she was born with the disease and that she was very close to having a seizure that could have killed her,” confided Kayleigh, her mother.
A life saved
At the hospital, surgeons drain the excess fluid caused by a blockage in his brain. During this operation, they also insert a permanent reservoir allowing any future drainage on the liquid came to accumulate again. “Poppy is lucky to be alive thanks to Mr. Patel and the way he acted,” she admitted. “He literally saved our little girl,” she continued. Very grateful to the optician, Poppy’s parents took their little girl to see him so she could give him a thank you card and a box of chocolates.
Raise awareness
On the road to recovery, Poppy’s recovery is expected to take between six to twelve months. Her parents hope that she will be able to gradually return to school. “We want to use our experience to raise awareness of the importance of having your eyes tested regularly regardless of age,” said Kayleigh. As for Mrudang Patel, he simply declared himself very happy to have been able to help him. “I am so happy to have been able to meet her again and see how she is doing after such a serious health crisis,” he concluded.
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