An optician saved a young girl's life after a routine eye test discovered a potentially fatal brain condition.
Poppy-May Leeds was moments away from having a life-threatening seizure when her optician found a build-up of fluid that required emergency brain surgery.
Optometrist Mrudang Patel quickly realised while examining the nine-year-old that something was wrong and took decisive action to save her life.
Nine-year-old Poppy-May was taken to an emergency eye clinic for an MRI scan.
After being sent home, she was quickly brought back in after doctors examined the results.
She was transferred by ambulance to King's College Hospital in London, where surgeons drained the excess fluid caused by a blockage in her brain.
During the operation, they inserted a permanent reservoir which will enable surgeons to easily drain any future fluid build-ups.
Poppy-May's mum Kayleigh said: "Poppy is lucky to be alive because of Mr Patel and the way he acted. He literally saved our little girl.
"We are so grateful and so thankful to him because it could have ended so differently.
"Doctors have told us it was possible she was born with the condition and that she was very close to having a seizure which could have killed her."
The girl from Herne Bay, Kent, was admitted to hospital on January 26.
Now a month on, she has been diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a build-up of fluid in the brain, which can be fatal if left untreated.
The build-up can put pressure on the brain and lead to brain damage.
Some symptoms include headaches, sickness, blurred vision, and difficulty walking.
Poppy-May suffered from blurred vision and slight headaches but nothing significant enough to cause concern.
The lucky nine-year-old is now on the road to recovery and met up with Mr Patel to give him a thank you card and a box of chocolates.
Her parents Kayleigh and Thomas are extremely grateful to Mr Patel from Scrivens Opticians & Hearing Care branch in Herne Bay.
Mr Patel, who has been performing eye tests for 16 years, said: "We are trained to look out for a range of conditions, but this was very rare.
"I was concerned when I saw an appearance of papilloedema. This is the term for swelling of the optic nerves at the back of the eye as a result of increased intracranial pressure, which is why I referred Poppy-May for urgent medical attention.
"I am so pleased that I was able to help and to meet her again and see how she is doing after such a serious health scare."
Poppy-May's recovery is expected to take around six to 12 months and her parents hope she will be able to gradually return to school soon.
Her mum wants to encourage people to attend regular eye tests, as they can save lives.
She added: "We want to use our experience to raise awareness of how important it is to have your eyes tested regularly, whatever your age."
Adults are advised to have eye tests every two years while those over 70 should get a check-up once a year.
Children under 16 should also be tested once a year and tests are free.
