Like many people, Melissa Wright thought only older people got glaucoma. But then her son, Hunter, was diagnosed at just a few months old. After years of struggling with the disease, she shared Hunter’s story of congenital glaucoma to help other families.

‘He Just Kept His Eyes Closed’

According to the Glaucoma Research Foundation, childhood glaucoma, also known as congenital glaucoma, happens in infancy and early childhood, and is usually diagnosed within a child’s first year of life. Childhood glaucoma is a rare condition and can sometimes be inherited. Symptoms include enlarged eyes, cloudiness of the cornea, and light sensitivity.

Wright says that her family noticed something was amiss with Hunter when he was about five or six months old. On a family vacation, Hunter would keep his eyes closed when they were at the beach, drawing the family’s concern. Their pediatrician referred them to an eye specialist who determined their infant son had congenital glaucoma. Recalls Wright, “He was talking about glaucoma, and I heard him say Hunter could be blind one day. I don’t really know much more after that, I kind of blacked out, and I was really upset.” 

She explains that she was shocked since no one on either side of the family had the disease. “To me, glaucoma was something old people get. I didn’t know you could be born with it, so just learning about congenital glaucoma was something that I had to do.”

What Is Glaucoma?

Ophthalmologist Joern Soltau, M.D. of the University of Louisville, explains that glaucoma is “basically a plumbing problem.” Fluid is continually secreted inside the eye to shuttle nutrients and provide internal eye pressure, so the eyeball doesn’t collapse. But it needs draining from the eyeball to avoid pressure buildup. In glaucoma, fine pores that allow for drainage become blocked; in congenital glaucoma, those pores are malformed from birth. 

“There are no symptoms early on, so as the pressure is too high, it damages the optic nerve and damages your peripheral vision, and you’re not really aware that you have any visual problems until it’s too late,” Soltau said.

Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness globally, with about three million Americans living with the condition.

Early Intervention Is Critical

Thanks to several surgeries and multiple tests between the ages of five months and four years old, Hunter’s glaucoma and vision are stable as he turns 15. He now visits a specialist once a year for a checkup.

But while Wright is grateful for catching the condition early in her son, glaucoma is often missed. To keep eyes healthy, experts advise regular eye exams.

*Baileys, J. (2022, January 25). Louisville-area mom shares son’s battle with glaucoma to offer advice to other families. WLKY. https://www.wlky.com/article/louisville-mom-son-childhood-glaucoma/38885732