10-year-old tennis fan has big tennis dreams after surgeon “gives him back his vision”

A determined pair of siblings took on a Kids Triathlon for our charity to say thank you to the doctors who saved the little boy’s eyesight and his tennis dreams.

10-year-old Arran Shields, from Glasgow, and his seven-year-old sister, Lyla, took on Glasgow Kids Triathlon to say thank you to our Children’s Hospital, the hospital that helped save Arran’s sight when he was a toddler.

When Arran was two and a half, he came home from nursery one day in floods of tears. Initially, it was thought that he might have sun cream in his eye, but his mum, Ajeet, became increasingly concerned when Arran could not open his eye and remained distressed and in pain.

After seeking medical advice and monitoring him overnight, he was taken to their local A&E the following morning when his symptoms had not improved. Doctors suspected there might be a foreign object in his eye, although initial examinations could not identify the cause. Arran was then examined by a consultant under general anaesthetic.

What they discovered was a terrible shock: a wall staple had penetrated Arran’s left eye. Arran had urgent surgery to remove the staple, but the specialist surgery required to repair the eye damage couldn’t be done at his local hospital. Arran was urgently referred to the specialist Eye Department at our hospital.

Ajeet made the journey of almost 300 miles from Glasgow to Birmingham with her injured two-and-a-half-year-old son and her six-month-old daughter, Lyla, terrified about what the future might hold for Arran’s sight.

Ajeet remembers: “It was one of the darkest moments of my life. I remember being terrified that my little boy might lose his vision.

“But from the moment we arrived at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, we were met with kindness, compassion and reassurance. Most importantly, we felt that Arran was in the hands of people with extraordinary expertise. I will never forget what they did for him.”

Arran underwent specialist surgery under the care of an expert consultant ophthalmic surgeon at our Children’s Hospital and continued to receive follow up care as his eye recovered.

Today, Arran’s vision is almost back to normal, and he only needs to wear glasses. But our hospital gave Arran went far beyond his eyesight: it gave a little boy the opportunity to pursue the sport he loves.

Arran loves tennis and has shown considerable talent on the court, winning a national under-9 event. He continues to dream about how far the sport might one day take him, though his journey has been far from easy.

Arran has ADHD and PTSD and is currently undergoing assessment for autism spectrum disorder. Emotional regulation can be particularly difficult for him, especially in highly pressured situations like competitive sport.

Ajeet said: “People can sometimes see a child winning something and assume everything must be easy for them. For Arran, that isn’t the reality.

“He is a talented little boy, but he also has genuine struggles. Tennis has helped him enormously, although there have also been times when the competitive environment has been difficult for him.”

Beside him throughout it all is his seven-year-old sister, Lyla, one of his biggest supporters.

Ajeet says: “Lyla is only seven, but the way she encourages her brother makes me incredibly proud. She celebrates him when he succeeds, but she is also there when things are difficult. She sees Arran for Arran.”

Arran and Lyla both showed their incredible kindness and thankfulness to our hospital by taking on the Glasgow Kids Triathlon, swimming 25 metres, cycling 1.5km and finishing with a 500-metre run.

Arran came first in his age category, but for the family, the most important achievement was that the brother and sister raised an incredible £800 for our hospital’s Eye Department.

Ajeet said: “Of course, they wanted to do well, but what made this one particularly special was knowing why they were doing it. The support we received from Birmingham Children’s Hospital was unbelievable, from Arran’s consultant to the nurses and opticians.

“You never really forget the people who were there during one of the most frightening moments of your life. Raising money for the Eye Department was our little way of saying thank you.”

Arran still has big dreams for tennis and there is one promise he made that his mum has never forgotten.

Ajeet said: “Arran once told his surgeon Mr Parulekar that if he ever made it to Wimbledon, he would give him a seat in his players’ box, because he was the person who ‘gave me back my vision.’

“None of us knows where Arran’s tennis journey will eventually take him. What matters is that despite everything he has been through, he still has that dream.”

Annie Eytle, Head of Public Fundraising at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, said:

“Arran and Lyla are sporting superstars and it’s incredible to see their passion for supporting patients in our Eye Department.

“Arran has truly overcome the odds, and despite the challenges he still faces, it looks like he’s well on his way to achieve his dreams. We wish him the very best.”