THE dad of a toddler who was diagnosed with eye cancer after his parents spotted a white glow in his left eye is running in the Chepstow 10k this August to raise charity funds.

Shane Stevenson, 35, and partner, Lowri Gallagher, 30, were at home in the Rhondda Valley when they noticed the problem in the eye of one-year-old son Kooper.

Shane Stevenson, 35, and his partner, Lowri Gallagher, 30, with Kooper and his older brother Brody - A toddler was diagnosed with eye cancer after his parents noticed a white glow in his left eye. Shane Stevenson, 35, and his partner, Lowri Gallagher, 30, were at home when they noticed a white glow in their then one-year-old son, Kooper's eye. It was only noticeable in low-light conditions or when they took a photo of Kooper with the flash on. An ultrasound revealed a lump in Kooper's eye, and he was referred to Birmingham Women and Children’s Hospital in December 2024. He underwent an optical coherence tomography scan - an advanced scan that allows opticians to assess your eye health - before he was diagnosed with retinoblastoma - a rare eye cancer that typically affects children under the age of six. In December 2024, Kooper started intra-arterial chemotherapy - a targeted cancer treatment where chemotherapy drugs are delivered directly to the area - before having laser therapy and one round of chemotherapy injections. The tot is still undergoing treatment, and Shane said the results have been "mixed".
Shane Stevenson, 35, and his partner, Lowri Gallagher, 30, with Kooper and his older brother Brody (Shane Stevenson / SWNS)

It was only noticeable in low-light or on a flash photo.

An ultrasound revealed a lump in Kooper's eye, and he was referred to Birmingham Women and Children’s Hospital in December 2024 for an advanced scan before being diagnosed with retinoblastoma, a rare eye cancer that typically affects children under six.

Kooper then started intra-arterial chemotherapy – where chemotherapy drugs are delivered directly to the area – before laser therapy and chemotherapy injections.

Shane, a health and safety consultant, said: “I don’t think anything prepares you to hear that your one-year-old has cancer, may lose his eye, or may never see out of it again – it was a very emotional time.

"My partner first noticed a white glow in Kooper’s eye in low-light... We Googled it and came across some advice that said take a photo with the flash on, and the white glow was obvious.”

Shane said: "It was heartbreaking... Kooper’s had four rounds of intra-arterial chemotherapy, laser therapy twice, and one round of chemotherapy injections.

“Results have been mixed... the tumour looks smaller, but the spores in his eye are growing, so hopefully the injection’s had a positive effect.”

The family has been helped by the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust (chect.org.uk), which urges parents to be aware of a white glow in the eye in a flash photo or in certain light, and a squint.         

Shane said: “CHECT have been great. I took on the ABP Newport 10K for them in April, and I’m taking on the Chepstow 10K in August to raise money for them.”

The Chepstow Running Festival takes place at Chepstow Racecourse on Saturday, August 16.