KITCHENER -- A three-year-old Kitchener toddler diagnosed with a rare form of eye cancer is back in and out of hospital for new treatment.

Mateo Alfaro was diagnosed with retinoblastoma in 2018 after doctors found close to a dozen tumours in both eyes.

Doctors removed his right eye at The Hospital for Sick Children, also known as SickKids, in Toronto.

“He has a reaction to the radiation he has so he has bad vessels growing in his good eye” said his mother, Alina Alfaro.

But, years later his left eye is giving him problems. This week doctors found a new tumour.

“It's a bit of a setback for us. It's a bit hard to take,” Alina said.

His parents said Mateo has good days and bad days.

“There are days that he’s just really low and doesn’t really want to move much, cries a lot,” Alina said.

Mateo in the hospital

The family has to go back and forth from Toronto once a month to go to SickKids or to visit Mateo’s ocularist, where Mateo has to get his prosthetic eye refitted.

“Seventy-five per cent (is) covered by the Ministry of Health and 25 per cent covered by the patient," his ocularist, Matthew Milne, said.

Milne said the total cost is $2,000.

The family Is forced to pay $500 out of pocket, which is an added challenge since the pandemic.

There's an online campaign helping the family cover the costs.

“Because of COVID, I was laid off, and then eventually I was permanently laid off,” said Mateo's father Jorge Alfaro.

COVID-19 has also been hard on Mateo, who has to get tested every time he visits the hospital.

“It’s a challenge. It’s trauma for him," said his mother. “It took four people to hold him down last time.”

Mateo Alfaro as a superhero

His parents want what is best for their son and for the pain to go away.

“Cancer is a very scary word to hear and I just want my child to be well,” Alina said.

“He touches his eye and says 'That hurts,'" Jorge said.

Mateo is set to get a new prosthetic eye for his right side next month. His family will return to SickKids to see if the treatment on Mateo’s left eye is helping.