An Australian mother is urging parents to always seek a second medical opinion after a rare autoimmune eye condition was misdiagnosed, leaving her daughter blind in one eye and now threatening the sight in the other.
Thirteen-year-old Sophie Carruthers' Battle
Thirteen-year-old Sophie Carruthers, from Mount Gambier in South Australia, has spent most of her childhood navigating a disease that few people have heard of. Sophie has uveitis, a condition where the immune system causes severe inflammation inside the eye. When she was five, it was mistaken for conjunctivitis — a delay that cost her the vision in her left eye.
Sophie told 7NEWS: "It's very scary… because obviously I don't want to lose my sight."
Mother's Guilt and Warning
Her mother, Jasmine Kennett, says the misdiagnosis changed everything. "It was absolutely devastating… I took a lot of the guilt and blame on myself," she said. "As a single first-time mum, I just believed the doctors and did what they told me." Kennett said that Sophie has shown "incredible courage through years of serious health challenges," despite losing all sight in one eye before she even started school.
Condition Returns After Eight Years
Now, eight years on, the condition has returned — this time attacking her right eye. Over the past six months, Sophie has endured repeated flare-ups, countless appointments and treatments, and further vision loss. There has been little improvement. The disease has also taken a toll on her schooling and social life. "In school I'm very behind in a few things and I have trouble understanding," she said.
Financial and Logistical Strain
The family makes frequent five-hour trips from Mount Gambier to Adelaide for specialist care — a cost Kennett says is becoming impossible to manage. "We have to drive eight hours into the city for treatment… we've got young kids at home as well," she said. If Sophie's condition worsens, those trips may become even more frequent. To help cover mounting medical and travel expenses, the family has launched a GoFundMe appeal, saying any support — even sharing their story — "would mean the world."
Sophie's Determination
Through it all, Sophie remains determined. She vows to "keep pushing ahead and never give up."
