The true story of how international insurance saved
the life of a child with retinoblastoma
What do you do when you’re told your child is gravely ill, and you’re not getting the medical answers you need? Discover how VUMI’s global insurance coverage enabled a family to immediately access specialized treatment for eye cancer that was threatening their child’s very survival.
Ítalo's story
Italo was two years old when his father noticed a strange halo of light on his eye. “He was running in front of me and I noticed a reflection in his eye. When he came closer, I could see the tumor,” Italo’s father recounts.
Concerned, his parents sought help, but in their home country, they couldn’t find a clear answer for their son’s condition. “Unfortunately, his diagnosis came at a late stage of the illness. The doctors who were treating him in Honduras told us three different times that he was fine.”
Without giving up, they continued to seek help. Thanks to VUMI’s international health insurance, Ítalo received an accurate diagnosis and emergency care at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute , the number one eye hospital in the United States, according to U.S. News World’s Best Hospitals Report.
There, Ítalo quickly received an accurate diagnosis. The boy was suffering from a form of childhood cancer called retinoblastoma. Although doctors were unable to save his eye, they were able to save his life. “As parents, we had to make the most difficult decision of our lives – removing my son’s eye in order to save his life.”
Today, Ítalo is in good health and has an ocular prosthesis that allows him to look normal and live a full life.
What is retinoblastoma?
Retinoblastoma is the most common type of intraocular cancer in children. It presents as a proliferation of cells in the retina, the light-sensitive membrane found inside the eye.
Symptoms include:
- Pupils that appear white in bright light or in photos with flash
- Eyes that appear to be looking in different directions
- Swollen eyes
- Watery eyes
- Eye pain
Treatments vary depending on the stage and type of retinoblastoma the patient presents, but the most common are:
- Chemotherapy
- Laser treatment
- Radiation
- Cold therapy to freeze and destroy cancer cells
- Surgery to remove the eye (enucleation
How did VUMI's international health insurance make a difference?
In Italo’s case, VUMI’s international insurance was key to his correct diagnosis, treatment and recovery.
From a medical standpoint, Italo’s parents were unable to find the answers needed for their son’s condition in his country of residence. In fact, specialists in his country said his eyes were fine. It was only when Italo was able to visit specialists in the United States that he received an accurate diagnosis.
The insurance not only coordinated medical visits and treatment at the top eye hospital in the United States, but also covered the high medical costs of Italo’s treatment and recovery.
“Having proper health insurance is key because the medical expenses would have been incalculable. The prosthesis alone is extremely expensive. VUMI® took care of everything,” says his father.
Preparing for the unexpected: the smart decision
- Top-rated international hospitals based on the patient's condition and treatment needs
- Best-in-their-field specialists
- Second medical opinion from international experts
- Coordination of your medical appointments and treatments abroad
- Comprehensive coverage for high-cost illnesses
- And much more!
