A GIRL was born without eyes – but it took her parents hours to figure it out.
Mum Laura and dad John Duffy-Moss were so caught up in the whirlwind of the “dramatic” birth that they didn’t notice something wasn’t right.
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Margot Duffy-Moss was born without eyes Credit: PA
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He has a rare condition called bilateral anophthalmiaCredit: PA
Although initially worried and feeling “a real sense of loss”, the York parents now say their daughter is “beautiful” and has “changed their lives for the better”.
Laura, 37, said: “The only way I can describe Margot is beautiful inside and out.
“She is so happy.
“I think she’s taught us so much and she’s changed our world in a way that makes us appreciate life and appreciate the very little things in life so much more than before.”
Margot has bilateral anophthalmia, which means her eyes and optic nerves never developed in the womb.
This rare condition is estimated to affect one in 100,000 babies.
It was not seen during Laura’s “simple pregnancy”, nor immediately after Margot’s “rather dramatic” birth.
“John gave birth to her unexpectedly at home on the floor – it wasn’t planned,” said Laura, the school’s headmistress.
– Labor started quite quickly, but our labor ward was full and they couldn’t admit me.
John, 33, a manager at York Theater Royal, added: “They put the midwife on speakerphone and she explained to me and Laura what we had to do, basically.”
Parents in shock because a girl was born without EYES due to a rare genetic disorder that affects only 30 people in the world
A few hours later, they suddenly noticed that it didn’t look quite as they expected.
“It wasn’t until a few hours later that we got a really good look at her because there was all the rush of ambulances arriving and then arriving at the hospital,” Laura said.
“I was holding her and I just said to John, ‘Do you think everything is okay, because something is wrong?’
“Margot hadn’t opened her eyes yet, and her face looked strange.”
Margot was seen by a series of pediatricians, one of whom tried to open her eyes with small metal clamps, before she was referred to a specialist pediatric ophthalmologist.
It wasn’t until Margot was four days old that she was diagnosed with bilateral anophthalmia.
“It sounds so awful to say that now because Margot is so beautiful and changed our lives for the better, but at the time it was extremely traumatic,” Laura said.
– The whole situation is like a trauma.
She doesn’t know what anything looks like so you just give her something to feel and she can spend ages drawing it with her fingers
LauraMom
After the news broke, John began contacting professionals to learn more about how to support Margot.
Kate from Guide Dogs has been helping since she was 12 weeks old, making her one of the youngest children the charity has worked with.
Since then, Laura and John have watched their little girl learn new skills and exceed “all our expectations.”
It will be “a long time” before Margot interacts with guide dogs, but she is learning basic tasks like standing up, walking and developing core strength.
“Life looks completely different today than it did when she was born,” John said.
“We haven’t found anything she doesn’t like.
“She’ll sit next to her sister, she’ll just touch things, anything, because she doesn’t know what anything looks like so you just give her something to feel and she can spend years drawing it with her fingers and getting to know what it is.
“Regardless of the fact that she has to have an operation every few months and that she has to go to the hospital all the time and get poked, and that her sister throws a football at her and all the appointments that she has, she is just very, very happy and very content.”
The family celebrated Margot’s first birthday in October, which they said was “lovely”.
What is bilateral anophthalmia?
Bilateral anophthalmia is the medical term for the absence of both eyes.
It is a rare condition that occurs during early fetal development.
It may show up on an ultrasound scan, but it won’t always.
Bilateral anophthalmia is thought to be caused by genetic mutations and abnormal chromosomes.
Some scientists believe that environmental factors, such as exposure to chemicals, drugs or viruses, may increase the risk, but research is limited.
There is no treatment that will create or restore sight, but children can be fitted with eye prostheses for cosmetic purposes and to encourage hollow growth.
Experts estimate that anophthalmia affects approximately one in 100,000 babies.
Every year in England and Wales, around 30 babies are born with anophthalmia or microphthalmia – where one or both of the baby’s eyes are small.
Source: BAAM, CDC and Moorfields Eye Hospital
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Margot’s parents say their daughter has ‘changed their lives for the better’Credit: PA
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A young man with a member of staff from the Guide Dogs charity Credit: PA
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Mom Laura, little Margot and her sister BernadetteCredits: PA
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York siblings out together Credit: PA
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Laura and John watched their little girl surpass ‘all their expectations’Credit: PA
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Margot’s eyes and optic nerves never developed in the womb Credit: PA
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The family supports Guide DogsCredit: PA
Categories: Optical Illusion
Source: HIS Education