Eye exam saves a life!

A teenage boy's trip to the ophthalmologist turned out to be a visit that ultimately saved his life.

Seeking only a prescription for contact lenses, Nick Myers ended up in an ambulance for emergency treatment for leukemia.

The eye doctor first observed that even with glasses, Nick's best vision was only 20/25 in both eyes while normal vision should be 20/20. The doctor then performed a dilated eye exam and discovered two pinpoint hemorrhages on Nick's retina and knew immediately that something was very wrong. Not only was Nick pale, he looked anemic.

The eye doctor¬†recommended Nick see his pediatrician and even set the appointment up for him to be seen that day and to have a blood tests performed. The blood tests confirmed the doctor's¬†suspicion: Nick had acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Within twelve hours, Nick was receiving blood transfusions and had been admitted to Children's Hospital of New Orleans. After three years of chemotherapy, Nick is now in remission. Many diseases can be discovered early in the eyes before symptoms appear in other parts of the body.*