Canadian boy's family still fighting to save eyes harmed by SJS
December 29th, 2008 by Jennifer Walker-Journey
“Mommy, take my eyes out,” Ian Milne cried when he was just 3 years old. The Colwood, British Columbia boy had suffered an adverse reaction known as Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS), in which the skin blisters and peels away, according to The Windsor Star. Mucus membranes also can be affected, causing painful and debilitating blisters in the body’s orifices such as the mouth and eyes. In more severe cases, dehydration, infection and even death can occur. Many times, long-lasting vision problems, including blindness, can result from lesions in the eyes.
Young Ian clung to life as 90 percent of his skin peeled away and his lungs and digestive tracts were burned. He beat the odds and survived, but his eyes were adversely affected. He suffered such mounting pain from ulcers and inflammation in the eyes that one Alberta physician suggested Ian’s eyes be removed to alleviate the pain. It was not an option Ian’s mother was willing to accept.
Over the past seven years, Ian has had 38 surgeries to correct his vision. Many of those years were spent in the dark. His last surgery, in October, has enabled him to see much more clearly and has restored his depth perception. Because SJS ate away the protective film over his eye, he now wears a deep contact lens to prevent his eyelid from collapsing onto his cornea.
It is a long and grueling road to recovery, but today 10-year-old Ian’s body shows few signs of SJS. His skin, treated by vitamin E capsules, has grown back, and – following doctor’s orders – he plays video games for two hours a day to exercise his eyes.