Boyne Island’s Alaska Keleher one in 27,000 retinoblastoma cancer diagnosis

A mum’s intuition something was off with her newborn was proven true, as a Queensland baby fights a rare one in 27,000 cancer diagnosis.

Alaska Keleher was diagnosed with retinoblastoma at the age of nine-weeks-old and started chemotherapy at the age of 12-weeks-old.

It is the news no parent wants to hear, but for Celeste Keleher that became a reality when her newborn daughter Alaska was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of eye cancer.

Ms Keleher said she knew something was wrong with her newborn within days of her birth.

“Alaska was born an emergency C-section,” Ms Keleher said.

“It was my first time having a C-section and I noticed she went cross-eyed a few times.”

The Queensland mother, who has another two girls, immediately suspected something was wrong, though several checks by doctors led to nothing.

Despite the apparent all clear, Ms Keleher’s apprehension only grew in the following days and weeks.

Alaska Keleher left eye formed a white glow within weeks of her birth which her mother, Celeste, immediately suspected, was a sign something was wrong.

Things finally came to a head when Alaska was nine-weeks-old and her mother noticed she had a white glow in her left eye and her baby couldn’t following light movement from a torch when previously she could.

“I took her to my optometrist and said something is wrong,” she said.

A check by the optometrist revealed something was blocking the retina and according to the mother of three, the optometrist said it could possibly be a tumour.

“I felt very upset and a little bit confused about how this could happen.”

Alaska Keleher’s head scan showed an abnormality in her left eye which turned out to be retinoblastoma.

Alaska was referred to an ophthalmologist in Brisbane who conducted numerous tests including an ultrasound in her eye.

“She could see there was a large mass in Alaska’s eye,” Ms Keleher said.

“We went straight to the hospital that day, went for another ultrasound and we confirmed there was something she needed to being investigated for as soon as possible.”

An MRI scan eventually revealed Alaska had a 1.5cm tumour in her left eye and it had pulled away from her retina and was growing at a very rapid rate.

The newborn was diagnosed with retinoblastoma, a rare form of cancer but paradoxically the most common childhood eye cancer, within nine weeks of being born.

According to Ms Keleher only one in 27,000 are diagnosed with this cancer which forms while the child is developing in the womb.

By the time Alaska was diagnosed with the disease she had started to go blind as the tumour was so big.

Boyne Island resident Alaska was diagnosed with retinoblastoma at the age of nine-weeks-old and started chemotherapy at the age of 12-weeks-old.

“Alaska would have been six weeks old (since conception) and her whole face and her eyes were actually forming,” Ms Keleher said.

“That’s as far back as the tumour could have been in her eye … we had to act really quickly.”

Within days, Alaska was back in Brisbane where she started her first round of chemotherapy in February 2025 at only 12-weeks-old.

The treatment, which remains ongoing, required frequent trips to Brisbane lasting three days at a time.

However, Alaska’s retina began slowly reattaching itself though Ms Keleher fears permanent damage might have been done to her third daughter’s left eye.

“She might not have the best sight when she is older,” she said.

Despite the situation, Alaska Keleher will not have to suffer the fate of many children who are diagnosed with retinoblastoma, and will be able to keep her left eye.

Like many parents whose child gets diagnosed with cancer, Ms Keleher had no idea what retinoblastoma was and it turned out Alaska’s diagnosis was sporadic rather than hereditary, which is how most children get the disease.

Ironically this factor proved beneficial.

“Her being sporadic, she has responded quite well (to treatment),” Ms Keleher said.

“She has had a successful few rounds of chemotherapy. We’ve witnessed some other babies not be as fortunate and their retinoblastomas have not been responding to chemotherapy.”

At the time of this article being written, Alaska’s tumour has died and she is set to complete her sixth round of chemotherapy.

“Once we’ve finished it we still have to check with another MRI scan that it is clear,” she said.

Even if she is clear, every three months Alaska and her mother will still have to fly back to Brisbane to ensure that there are no more tumours growing as retinoblastoma can come back very rapidly.

“She has to be monitored very closely for the next several years.”

The Boyne Island mother said it was important to note that doctors have yet to declare Alaska cancer free.

Despite the less than ideal circumstances, Alaska’s mother is grateful her daughter will be able to keep her eye, as many children lose theirs during the treatment process.

Celeste Keleher has had to give up her job as Alaska’s treatment has caused her immune system to weaken meaning that childcare is not a possibility.

It comes as no surprise that Alaska’s diagnosis has rocked her family’s foundation, with Ms Keleher unable to return to work, as Alaska can’t go to childcare due to a weakened immune system brought on by the chemotherapy treatment.

A GoFundMe has since been created to assist in the medical and recovery expenses.

As of the date this article has been written, the GoFundMe has raised $3,470.

Asked if she had a message to those who have donated, Ms Keleher said she was incredibly grateful.

“I am so thankful,” she said.

“It has definitely warmed my heart.”