Saved By His Condition

His name is Ethan Burn, his two hands moves exactly in mirrored direction to each other. When he picks objects up in one hand, the other hand moves in sympathy.  At age of 4 he has been treated of over a hundred life threatening cancerous tumours in his left eye.

According to Daily Mail, Ethan can write simultaneously holding pens in both his right and left hand. It was during an MRI scan to investigate Ethan’s rare condition that doctors discovered he had a cancerous tumour growing behind his left eye.

It was thanks to the discovery that doctors have been able to treat a further hundred life-threatening tumours that have since grown behind his eye - and successfully save his life.

His mother Orme, 32, said: ‘Ethan has been through so much treatment to save him, but thankfully the doctors have finally managed to successfully treat all the tumours.

‘It is so lucky that he was born with mirror hands, as if it hadn’t been for the scan that doctors were doing to try and establish the cause, then his tumour may not have been found until it was too late.

when Ethan started to feed himself at the age of one, he couldn’t manage the task. He couldn’t hold the bowl with one hand and the spoon in the other. Mrs Burn, a nursery nurse, said: ‘He would be holding the bowl, but then when the spoon was placed in his other hand and he tried to lift it to his mouth, his other hand would lift too so he would pour out the contents of the bowl.

‘It was so frustrating for him. He would tip yoghurts and bowls of baby food all over himself because his hands wouldn’t move independently.

Tests revealed that Ethan had retinoblastoma, a rare childhood eye cancer. He started chemotherapy immediately to try and beat the disease. As the treatment progressed, doctors at the Royal London Hospital and Great Ormond Street found more and more ‘seedling’ tumours that were starting to grow.

Ethan had undergone chemotherapy which finished in April last year, and has also had laser therapy, cryotherapy to freeze the tumours, and a radioactive plaque attached directly to his eye.

Mrs Burn said: ‘He has had so much treatment, but he has taken it all in his stride. I felt so helpless when he was lying there in hospital, but he has been such an inspiration.’

Ethan has lost the sight in his left eye, but he still manages to ride his bike, play cricket and tennis. He started nursery in October. If any more tumours are discovered, then it is likely that Ethan will lose his eye.

Mrs Burn added: ‘He may have lost some of his sight, but he doesn’t let it stop him. He is clear at the moment and we are just hoping that no more tumours will start to grow.

‘He can still do everything he always used to - and he’s like a human etchasketch - as he can still write with both his hands at the same time. It’s amazing to see.

‘And every time I look at his mirror hands, I know that they have ended up saving his life.’