I SPOTTED MY DAUGHTER'S TUMOUR

CLAUDIA HOPDAY’S SHOCK DISCOVERY SAVED HER DAUGHTER’S LIFE

- Courtney Greatrex

For most parents, celebrating their child’s birthday is a time for joy and happiness. But for mum Claudia Hopday, on the day her daughter Zoe turned 4, her family’s lives changed forever.

After tucking Zoe into bed following a day of festivities, Claudia settled down to look over photos from the party – only to make a shocking discovery. As she glanced upon a photo of her daughter looking cross-eyed, she knew something was very wrong.

A series of tests revealed that little Zoe had a tumour behind her left eye, caused by neurofibromatosis (NF).

What’s more, Claudia and her eldest son Arthur, 10, also had the hereditary condition, which causes tumours to form in the brain, spinal cord and nerves.

Now, the family are hoping to bring light to the condition that affects one in 2500 adults and children in Australia.

“Every day we learn new things about NF,” Claudia, 34, from Wyoming, NSW tells New Idea. “What was initially quite overwhelming has simply become a part of who we are now, but that does not mean we are not vigilant of how quickly things can change.”

Growing up, Claudia had no idea that she had type 1 NF. She spent her whole life unaware there was even such a condition until her daughter was diagnosed.

After looking through the photos of Zoe’s birthday, Claudia suspected something might be amiss. She noticed Zoe’s left eye seemed crossed.