Nicola Sharp, a 42-year-old nurse in England, was clicking through her friend Michelle Freeman's Facebook photos when an image of Michelle's daughter gave her reason to pause. In the photo, two-year-old Grace's eyes were lit up from the flash of the camera, but Sharp noticed that instead of the usual red-eye glint, one of the toddler's eyes was actually white.
Sharp, who has worked in pediatrics for decades, recognized immediately that the white reflection in Grace's eye could be sign of eye cancer. She immediately called Freeman about her suspicions. Little Grace was taken to the hospital where doctors found two tumors and diagnosed her with retinoblastoma.
The doctors also told Freeman that if the cancer had spread, it could have been fatal.
Freeman is grateful that her friend took the time to notice something odd in Grace's photo. "There is no doubt in my mind that Nicola saved Grace's life. There were no signs that Grace had any problems with her eyes and we never would have known without her," she said.
