THE mother of a Poole toddler who lost her eye to a rare form of cancer only discovered her daughter's sight was failing during a game of pirates.

Alice was diagnosed with retinoblastoma (Rb) when she was two years old.

She'd been going blind in one eye for months without anyone realising.

It was only when Alice put an eye patch over her right eye during a game of pirates that mum, Emily Taylor, realised she could not see.

Now, marking World Sight Day 2018, Alice has become the face of a new Childhood Eye Cancer Trust (CHECT) awareness campaign to educate parents on the symptoms of Rb.

Around 98 per cent of children survive Rb, but more than half will lose an eye to stop the cancer spreading.

Early diagnosis can help save a child's eye.

Emily, aged 30, said that six months before Alice's diagnosis, in May last year, she took Alice to the GP after her nursery teacher noticed a slight squint.

Following an appointment at the optician, who told her to go back to the GP, she got a referral to a specialist.

However, while waiting for this appointment, Emily's concern grew and she searched online for information about her daughter's symptoms - and Rb came up.

Emily said: "I decided to do some tests at home, covering up each eye to see what happened.

"We played a pirate game, putting a patch over her 'good eye' and it became clear that she couldn't see.

"At that point I panicked and called the hospital to ask if we could be seen sooner."

After an urgent referral to the Royal London Hospital, Rb was diagnosed.

Six rounds of chemotherapy, plus two rounds of intra-arterial chemotherapy, cryotherapy and laser therapy later, surgeons removed Alice's eye.

Alice has recovered well, and will celebrate her fourth birthday later this month.

Mum Emily said: "Alice has been incredible. She has really taken to her specialist eye and it doesn't faze her.

"Alice still has to have check-ups every three to four months but she can finally get on with her life and enjoy being a typical, cheeky fun-loving little girl."

The CHECT campaign, featuring fictional characters Alice and her 'uninvisible friend' Dot, aims to educate parents about the disease and its symptoms.

Visit uninvisiblefriend.com for more information