Christian Mendoza was like any other baby until he turned 4 months old. It was at that time his mother, Mayra Orozco, discovered something unusual. A small black dot had formed in one of his eyes. Mayra visited several pediatricians in the U.S. looking for an answer, but they all said the same thing, he’s ok and there’s nothing wrong with his eye.
When Mayra saw that the dot in Christian’s eye continued to grow, she decided to contact a hospital that had treated Christian before. They recommended she take him to an ophthalmologist, who after a diagnostic test suggested taking the child to a pediatrician for another test.
Christian was taken to the emergency room where he was examined by two pediatricians and a surgeon. After much evaluation, the doctors made a terrible discovery – Christian had retinoblastoma, a cancer of the eye.
They referred Christian to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital where clinical trials are testing new chemotherapy drugs in an attempt to avoid radiation therapy or having to surgically remove the eyes.
At St. Jude, doctors believe there is a 95 percent chance of saving Christian’s eye. Christian is currently receiving chemotherapy and laser therapy.
Created by St Jude Patients