DURING DECEMBER 2022, 13 year old Daniyal Khalid had been experiencing severe headaches, so his anxious parents took him to A&E at St George’s University Hospital NHS FT in Tooting, where he was examined and then sent home with the diagnosis that he was suffering from migraines.
Daniyal continued to suffer from headaches, which became worse over the ensuing days. This was compounded with an extreme sensitivity to light combined with nausea, and not being able to eat. So concerned were his parents with their son’s condition, that Mr Khalid decided to take Daniyal to St Helier Hospital in Sutton, where the family were advised it was migraines and sent home. During this period Daniyal was seen at both St Helier and St George’s without any diagnosis. It was at this point that Daniyal’s GP suggested he have a sight test.
Specsavers Sutton was the closest opticians to the family, so Daniyal went into the practice in December and was examined by Pre-Registration Optometrist, Kieran Tam and checked by Supervisor Optometrists, Charnjit Dhaliwal and Jamil Nanda.
A full eye examination was carried out, including an OCT (Optical Coherence Tomography) scan, which provides a detailed structural scan of the eye. The OCT is hospital grade diagnostic imaging equipment and uses light to take more than 1,000 images of the back of the eye and beyond, looking at the optic nerve and creating a cross-sectional view. The added benefit of the scan is that each customer’s OCT images can be stored – with any changes being monitored over time, a real benefit to the monitoring of someone’s overall eye health.
It was during the eye examinations, and in particular the fundus test, that Kieran realised there was something seriously wrong with Daniyal, and he immediately referred him to Moorfield’s Eye Hospital St George’s in Tooting for urgent care. However there was some issue with regard to the referral, which was returned to Mr Khalid by the hospital, he then called Kieran to discuss.
Because of the urgency of Daniyal’s condition, The Practice Optometrist Supervisors, Charnjit Dhaliwal and Jamil Nanda requested Kieran make a new emergency referral to St Helier in Sutton. During the course of the tests, Daniyal was diagnosed with a Subarachnoid Cyst in the brain that had bled, so causing the headaches. He was then rushed to St George’s in Tooting where surgery was performed on the same day, by the Neurological team. This condition can be life threatening, depending on the location of the cyst and symptoms it creates.
Commenting on the experience, Mr Khalid said; ‘The Neuro Team at St George’s who performed the operation on my son, told me that the cyst was full of fluid. It would have caused severe issues, if it hadn’t been caught in time. The Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon told me that this was a very rare case, and he praised the optician who had referred us.’
Mr Khalid continued, saying; ‘I am very grateful for all that Kieran did for us. Kieran saved my son’s life due to his professionalism and care for patients. My son and I would like to ensure he is recognised for his expertise, especially after everyone else missed what was wrong with Daniyal. Kieran is a real gem of an optician!’
Kieran Tam commented; ‘I am so pleased that Daniyal has made a full recovery. When I saw him in December I could see that there was something seriously wrong from the fundus checks I performed. Mr Khalid’s persistence to find out what was causing his son’s headaches, and the GP referral to see an optician, highlights how important an eye test can be in identifying any issues. I wish Daniyal continued health and fitness, and I really appreciate the comments from his family.’
Specsavers Sutton encourage customers to attend their two-year sight test so that they can monitor for any changes and also identify potential underlying health issues, such as high blood pressure, macular degeneration or even glaucoma. The OCT is able to pick up potential issues such as these conditions, up to four years before they might be picked up by a routine sight test.
