Toddler’s 14-Month Chemo Journey Begins After Skin Spots Reveal Vision-Threatening Brain Tumors
Maddie Fries, a 3-year-old from Bellevue, Ohio, underwent 14 months of chemotherapy to prevent blindness after doctors discovered growing tumors on her optic nerves. The condition was initially identified by her mother through café au lait spots on her skin, a hallmark of neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). Although the tumors are benign, their growth threatened her vision, leading to treatment at Cleveland Clinic Children’s. Maddie’s vision is now stable, though her right eye remains impaired, and she is preparing to start kindergarten.