Tyler's story

A recent experience of one of the Pediatric Eye Specialists ophthalmologists, Dr. Alan Norman, illustrates the kind of innovation that will be possible on a larger scale through the Child Vision Center.

Dr. Norman was called in for a consultation on Tyler*, a premature infant in critical condition in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Cook Children’s Medical Center. He was born four months early, barely weighing one pound.

Dr. Norman was asked to evaluate the child for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), a potentially blinding condition seen only in premature infants. Indeed, the child had the most severe form of the condition.

Thanks to Dr. Norman’s role as investigator and Dr. Michael Hunt’s role as primary investigator in a new treatment trial for ROP, the child had access to the most advanced treatment available at the time. Drs. Norman and Hunt conferred and after considering all options, they injected the test drug directly into the baby’s eyes.

Fortunately, this procedure reversed the child's retinopathy of prematurity. In this severe case, standard laser treatment would have led to a severe loss of vision.

Tyler is now a 1-year-old and his vision is perfectly normal – a veritable miracle given the child’s history. Tyler now has the chance to lead a healthy life with normal vision.