Blind Baby Will Get Stem Cell Injections in China
7/6/2007

From: WBKO, KY, USA


By: Reporter: Laura Rogers, laura.rogers@...


Submitted by BlindNews Mailing List

Last Updated: 7:16 PM Jul 6, 2007

A Bowling Green baby will go to China for ground-breaking stem cell
research to correct his vision.

Six-month-old Jackson Blackford bounces and squeals like any other
happy, healthy baby, but what you don't realize is that he can't see.

He has an under-developed optic-nerve, a condition known as optic-
nerve hypoplasia.


"When he looks at something he doesn't pick up the image and send it
to his brain so therefore it leaves him legally blind," explained his
mother, Rachael Stayer.

Jack's parents first realized something was wrong when he was three-
months-old.

"We noticed that he wouldn't pay attention to his toys and his eyes
would kind of dance around," Stayer said.

His mother learned of the website www.stemcellschina.com. She
immediately emailed the Chinese hospital that was looking for
applicants in a special case study where doctors use stem cells from
umbilical cords of healthy live-birth babies.

"We got the ball rolling automatically. They were really anxious
because he's so young. It's going to make a big difference than if he
were an older child," Stayer said.

Jack was one of five children in the world selected for the
revolutionary treatment. He will receive umbilical cord stem cells
that will hopefully repair his optic-nerve and restore his eyesight.

"His father and I don't ever want to be in the position where we have
to tell him we didn't do everything we possibly could for him,"
Stayer said.

The hospital has a 98 percent success rate in its research studies.
This makes his parents optimistic the time and cost will be well
worth it.

The treatments, trip to China and medical supplies are expected to
cost $60,000 and none of it is covered by insurance. If you would
like to donate to the Jackson T. Blackford Fund, you can do so at any
U.S. Bank location.



http://www.wbko.com/news/headlines/8358922.html

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