Umbilical Cord Stem Cells Offer Hope for 10 year old Austin

September 21, 07
Umbilical Cord Stem Cells Offer Hope for 10-year-old Austin



Bolivar Herald - Free PressBy Becky Baker May see for first time in short lifeA young Bolivar boy hopes to be able to distinguish light from dark as well as make out faces, something he has never been able to do since birth. Austin Anderson, 10, has born with optic nerve hypoplasia, which is a congenital disorder that is caused by the underdevelopment of the optic nerve. He also suffers from septo-optic dysplasia, which is another birth defect that is related to growth hormone deficiency, and he is mildly autistic.Yet, Austin is a happy little boy, according to his mom, Kim Lightwine May. At age 10, though, he only weighs 57 pounds and is at the 10th percentile on the height and
weight chart most pediatricians use to chart growth for kids.He has attended Missouri School for the Blind in St. Louis since 2004. "He has learned a lot of things that help to prepare him for the best quality of life he can have," May
said. Before attending MSB, he attended Bolivar Center for the Developmentally Disabled for two years."Austin loves music, water and to sit in a lawn chair while others are busy doing their things," May said. "He also loves to lay on Mimi's trampoline."New hope for AustinAfter 10 years of never being able to see, there may be hope for Austin to gain some sort of eyesight. Recent stem-cell transplants from umbilical cords in China have been giving hope to families similar to his. These stem cells are taken directly from umbilical cords after babies are born, not those produced in laboratories or taken from embryos or fetuses across the world.The Joplin Globe featured a story on Sept. 2, the exact day Rylea Barlett of Webb City was born six years ago. She was born blind with the same birth defect as Austin. She is now experiencing success with the stem cell transplants she received in July in China. She can now make out the "big E" at the top of the eye chart and can point out the three points, make out the faces of her mother, father, big brother and little sister."I can't wait for the day when Austin can finally see his mama's face," May said.The transplant procedures consist of one IV transplant and three spinal infusions, costing around $25,000 for the four transplants. Because the FDA has not approved the procedure, it is not available in the United States. But doctors at the Beike Clinic in Hangzhou, China, offered this experimental treatment to the Barlett family. Rylea was the first person with the same diagnosis as Austin's to have this procedure, and she has seen results within weeks of treatment, while it was first believed to take three to six months to see any improvements.Not only should these transplants help with Austin's vision and his growth deficiency but also his autism and very likely his developmental delays.Ever since May found out about Rylea's story from a friend who recently saw it in a local daily newspaper, she has been in touch with her mother on almost a daily basis, and they were able to meet in Springfield this past weekend. It is her hope to take Rylea back to China in March 2008 for another round of transplants for Rylea, and May hopes to be ready to take her son at the same time.For more information on the procedures, visit Rylea's Web site at NoMoreDarkness.com or StemCellsChina.com. You may also visit Austin's Web page at HopeForAustin.com. There is a fund set up for Austin's transplants and trip to China at US Bank, attn. Robin Sawyer, in Bolivar under his name, the Hope For Austin Fund or his mom's name.