A FRESH VISION OF THE FUTURE; KINGS' DUCHESNE COPES WITH SON'S ILLNESS.

Byline: Roger Phillips

It is a perfect October afternoon in Bel-Air, where Steve Duchesne is enjoying a family outing at a playground near the home he shares with his wife, Tracee, 2-year-old son Lake and daughter Dillon, 3.

But two years ago, life for the Duchesnes was anything but normal.

The family's troubles began when Steve, a 33-year-old defenseman and a key offseason free-agent signee for the Kings, was playing for Ottawa. Tracee was feeling a growing dread about Lake, who didn't seem as responsive as her first child.

In time, they learned Lake had ocular albinism, a rare congenital condition that causes the eyes to lack pigment even though the skin and hair show normal coloration. Ocular albinism can cause delayed mental development in young children and learning difficulties when they attend school.

But before the Duchesnes understood Lake's condition, before they learned he was mildly afflicted, before they knew their boy's prognosis was bright, there were wrenching moments of anxiety as they feared for their son's future.

Tracee says she felt a gnawing concern for Lake almost from his birth, which came nearly three weeks early. She noticed Lake didn't seem as alert as Dillon had at the same age. She was also concerned about his vision. Lake's eyes would jerk back and forth, and there were times he couldn't hold them still.

``I knew instinctively, right away, that something was not quite right,'' Tracee said. ``He was slow developing. At about two months of age, it dawned on me. He wouldn't look at my eyes.''

Finally, with Steve on the road with Ottawa, Tracee's fears became so unbearable she decided to perform her own test. She couldn't find a flashlight, so she shut off all the lights, lit a candle and waved the flame in front of Lake's eyes.

There was no reaction, not even a blink.

``I thought he was blind,'' said Tracee, 37. ``It was the worst night of our lives. I was in complete hysteria and shock. I couldn't reach Steve. He wasn't back at the hotel. I started calling doctors, anyone who would listen.''

She finally reached Steve late that night, leaving him to cope with the situation from afar.

``I pretty much stayed awake all that night,'' said Duchesne, who will be in uniform at 4:30 today when the Kings play at Florida. ``I talked to my wife three or four times. She was crying. I was trying to calm her down. But I was devastated.''

Answers were not immediate, though some reassurance came quickly.

``I don't think he's blind,'' a doctor in Ottawa told Tracee after examining Lake, ``but I don't know what he's seeing.''

The doctor told her to come back in a couple of weeks. But Tracee couldn't wait. She had to know what they were facing, so she found a specialist in St. Louis who told her about ocular albinism. She learned the uncontrollable eye movements were caused by nystagmus, which often accompanies ocular albinism.

``She was very concerned and distraught because she did not know whether or not he could see,'' said Dr. Larry Tychsen, the St. Louis pediatric ophthalmologist who diagnosed Lake. ``But she was very reassured after the visit. At the conclusion of the first visit, we could assure her that he was seeing, that he had a very mild case and that the nystagmus would diminish with time.''

But it wasn't easy. The Duchesnes would have to wait and hope the doctor's prognosis was accurate. Steve, meanwhile, struggled with the doubts of an uncertain future for their son.

``Tracee was great,'' says Steve, of Sept-Iles, Quebec. ``She said, `Everything is going to be all right. There are other things than sports.' She was right.''

In the two years since the diagnosis, Lake has improved dramatically. He is more alert, and on a recent afternoon didn't hesitate to climb on the jungle gym and run and play with Dillon, who Tracee said is Lake's best therapist.

The nystagmus has regressed considerably and should continue to do so, though Dr. Tychsen said it will likely never disappear completely, and future eye-muscle surgery might be beneficial.

The angst-filled days of two years ago are distant for the Duchesnes. Lake might not grow up to be a great athlete, but his future is expected to include regular school and a full, normal life.

``I think it's probably the best thing that's ever happened personally to me,'' said Steve. ``It's made me focus more on family and what's more important in life. There are other things than being an athlete.''

As if to emphasize this revelation, Lake ambles over.

``Can I get a kiss?'' Steve asks.

Lake obliges.

``Oh, merci,'' the father says, sounding truly grateful.

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3 Photos

PHOTO (1--2--Color) Kings defenseman Steve Duchesne learned the true value of family after son Lake was diagnosed with a rare congenital eye condition.

(3) The Duchesne family, from left: son Lake, daughter Dillon, Steve and wife Tracee. Lake, 2, was diagnosed with ocular albinism last year.

John Lazar/Daily News