KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — A Knoxville family is back home after their two children underwent months of cancer treatment in Pennsylvania. Earlier this year, Thomas and Vivienne Kneller were diagnosed with retinoblastoma, a rare and aggressive form of eye cancer.
"Retinoblastoma is a form of eye cancer that tends to occur in children usually under the age of 3 years and it usually presents with a white pupil. That white pupil, you know, normally the pupil is black but the pupil turns white because the cancer grows into the back of the pupil," said Dr. Carol Shields, an Ocular Oncologist at Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia.
Dr. Shields treated both Kneller children during their Philadelphia stay.
"It's just very uncommon that they were both diagnosed at the same time within the same week," said Dr. Shields. "So in their case, yes, it's a mutation that was likely inherited."
In January, the Knellers first took Vivienne for treatment in Philadelphia and that's when Timothy said he believes God told him to get Thomas checked too.
"I remember specifically what it said, what I heard, the voice say, God say, 'Don't wait a month,'" said Timothy Kneller, the father. "And so right then, I picked up my phone and I called, I texted my mother and said, 'Send a flash photo picture of Thomas' eyes.'"
The family spent around seven months in Philadelphia. Timothy and Alexis Kneller have both been out of work. Alexis works as a teacher.
"I took an extended leave of absence," she said. "And so my job is safe, I get to keep my health benefits but it is an unpaid leave of absence."
Timothy said he was a third-generation chimney sweep, but he's still not working. One of the Knellers' friends started an online AngeLink fundraiser for the family to supplement the income they're losing.
"AngeLink has been critical in connecting us with people who could help us," said Timothy. "And raising funds to help us pay our mortgage and replace the income that we had been losing. Our savings pretty quickly diminished and it was just the kindness of strangers."
Alexis said the kindness of both people she knows and strangers reminded her of what her grandmother taught her.
"My granny was just a big believer in faith and in God and just kindness and humanity," said Alexis. "And I, just, anytime something good happens, I'm just like, you know, like this is, this is what she talked about. This is what she tried to teach all of us about."
A Knoxville area ophthalmologist shared things families should look out for in their own children to make sure their eyes stay healthy.
"You know how a camera would give you the red eye if one of them is white — that may mean something that could be in the eye that's disrupting what we call the 'red reflex,'" said Dr. Matthew Lowrance, an ophthalmologist and retina specialist for Summit Medical Group. "And that's something that parents can look out for, friends who have kids and other people that can see that and then maybe alert that to them."
The Kneller family said throughout the entire process, their kids were very happy and are now doing well. They said they tried to see the good in the situation and are thankful their children are alive.
They also added several organizations that were helpful during their seven-month stay in Philadelphia, including Children's Flights of Hope, the HEADstrong Foundation, the Madelyn James Pediatric Cancer Foundation and more. They said they were extremely thankful and grateful for the help.
The Kneller parents also said they are both still not working. They say donations to the online fundraiser or even a prayer can help.
Alexis said Vivienne and Thomas both have dominant vision in their left eye and they are working on building strength in their right eye.