Routine eye test saved Young Boy's Life

"IT SHOULD have been a routine eye test – but it turned out to be an appointment which saved 14-year-old Andy McNulty's life.

During the examination, optometrist Alister Blockley found serious haemorrhaging and swelling at the back of Andy's eyes and sent him straight to casualty.

Within days he was undergoing emergency surgery to drain fluid from his brain, and weeks later he had to have a second, six-hour operation in Leeds.

Doctors removed a tumour which, although was not big, was attached to his short-term memory nervous system, made the whole procedure fraught with danger.

His mum Sandra, of Scarborough Crescent, Bridlington, said: 'This has completely turned our world upside down – never did we expect to be sent to Scarborough's A&E department following a trip to the opticians.

'To be told your son's life is a ticking time bomb is the most distressing news any mother has to hear. I wouldn't wish that on any family.

'Andrew is a club swimmer so he is a fit and healthy youngster which has really helped him with his recovery as he amazingly spent just over a week in hospital following his operation.

'Doctors were stunned with the speed in which he has recovered and he's back at school already.'

Remarkably, Andy, who is a pupil at Headlands School, only went for an eye test after he had been to see his doctor to get his athlete's foot cured!

He mentioned in passing that he had been having headaches and his eyes were puffy, so the GP advised him to go for an eye exam."