June 1, 2007
Sun-herald.comBy Thddi TosathA local family is planning a trip to China in August for their 16-month-old son, Cameron, who was diagnosed with optic nerve hypoplasia. Cameron has been selected to receive umbilical cord stem cell treatments, in the hopes that the experimental surgery will give Cameron his sight back. The treatment includes four stem cell transfusions of 10 to 15 million stem cells each.CHARLOTTE HARBOR -- As smiling 16-month-old Cameron Petersen bounced in his father's lap on Thursday afternoon, he reached for the sounds of his mother's voice. The bouncing blond tot, who is legally blind due to optic nerve hypoplasia, reached again as his mother, Melissa VanGorp, began to explain the treatment Cameron will receive in China this August.Cameron is one of five participants for a case study in China, where he will undergo umbilical cord stem cell treatments. Along with his parents, VanGorp and Zachery Petersen, Cameron will leave Aug. 6 for the groundbreaking medical procedure -- the first stem cell replacement surgery for patients with ONH."The doctors said there was nothing we could do about it. There wasn't a treatment yet," VanGorp, 24, said. The pregnant mother, due Sept. 13, now has hope for her son.After researching online, VanGorp's father came across success stories from Stem Cells China, where they have successfully infused stem cells into patients suffering from numerous other diseases and disabilities. Stem Cells China has established a 98 percent improvement rate with patients undergoing treatment for other disabilities, according to the organization's Web site."They don't want to promise too much, but the results speak for themselves," said Donna VanGorp, Cameron's grandmother."We are hoping it will make a significant amount of difference -- it hasn't been done (on ONH patients)," added Petersen, 26.This procedure, which is not available in America, will take the harvested umbilical cord stem cells and, in a very technical process, transplant them into Cameron. Stem cells are unspecialized cells that can replenish their numbers for long periods through cell division. After receiving certain chemical signals, the cells also can differentiate or transform into specialized cells with specific functions, according to Stem Cells China.The study is the first of its kind for ONH patients. The treatment includes four stem cell transfusions of 10 to 15 million stem cells each, VanGorp said. With each stem cell transplant, they also give the patient a transfusion of "neural growth factors" to encourage the stem cells to find their targets and transform into new neurons."He's a sweet little baby who will never see," said Carol Petersen, Cameron's grandmother. "This is his chance. It could be his miracle."Cameron will receive the treatments in Hangzhou, China, from Aug. 8 through Aug. 26."It's real scary cause he is one of the first ones (to have the experimental procedure)," VanGorp said. "We hope it will help his health a lot too."ONH is a condition, present at birth, in which there is underdevelopment of the optic nerve, according to Blind Babies Foundation.The underdevelopment of the optic nerve has also interfered with other bodily functions, causing problems with his blood sugar, VanGorp said. On Thursday, Cameron had another appointment with his doctor due to a spiked fever."We are still a little worried, it's happening so quickly," VanGorp said. "And, it's a lot of money."The treatment alone costs $15,000. An additional $10,000 to $20,000 is needed for a Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment chamber once Cameron returns. The family is estimating and hoping to raise $100,000 for the total expenses.On June 9, they will hold a bake sale and car wash at the Quality Homes of Port Charlotte parking lot. A bank account has also been set up for Cameron at Bank of America.
Sun-herald.comBy Thddi TosathA local family is planning a trip to China in August for their 16-month-old son, Cameron, who was diagnosed with optic nerve hypoplasia. Cameron has been selected to receive umbilical cord stem cell treatments, in the hopes that the experimental surgery will give Cameron his sight back. The treatment includes four stem cell transfusions of 10 to 15 million stem cells each.CHARLOTTE HARBOR -- As smiling 16-month-old Cameron Petersen bounced in his father's lap on Thursday afternoon, he reached for the sounds of his mother's voice. The bouncing blond tot, who is legally blind due to optic nerve hypoplasia, reached again as his mother, Melissa VanGorp, began to explain the treatment Cameron will receive in China this August.Cameron is one of five participants for a case study in China, where he will undergo umbilical cord stem cell treatments. Along with his parents, VanGorp and Zachery Petersen, Cameron will leave Aug. 6 for the groundbreaking medical procedure -- the first stem cell replacement surgery for patients with ONH."The doctors said there was nothing we could do about it. There wasn't a treatment yet," VanGorp, 24, said. The pregnant mother, due Sept. 13, now has hope for her son.After researching online, VanGorp's father came across success stories from Stem Cells China, where they have successfully infused stem cells into patients suffering from numerous other diseases and disabilities. Stem Cells China has established a 98 percent improvement rate with patients undergoing treatment for other disabilities, according to the organization's Web site."They don't want to promise too much, but the results speak for themselves," said Donna VanGorp, Cameron's grandmother."We are hoping it will make a significant amount of difference -- it hasn't been done (on ONH patients)," added Petersen, 26.This procedure, which is not available in America, will take the harvested umbilical cord stem cells and, in a very technical process, transplant them into Cameron. Stem cells are unspecialized cells that can replenish their numbers for long periods through cell division. After receiving certain chemical signals, the cells also can differentiate or transform into specialized cells with specific functions, according to Stem Cells China.The study is the first of its kind for ONH patients. The treatment includes four stem cell transfusions of 10 to 15 million stem cells each, VanGorp said. With each stem cell transplant, they also give the patient a transfusion of "neural growth factors" to encourage the stem cells to find their targets and transform into new neurons."He's a sweet little baby who will never see," said Carol Petersen, Cameron's grandmother. "This is his chance. It could be his miracle."Cameron will receive the treatments in Hangzhou, China, from Aug. 8 through Aug. 26."It's real scary cause he is one of the first ones (to have the experimental procedure)," VanGorp said. "We hope it will help his health a lot too."ONH is a condition, present at birth, in which there is underdevelopment of the optic nerve, according to Blind Babies Foundation.The underdevelopment of the optic nerve has also interfered with other bodily functions, causing problems with his blood sugar, VanGorp said. On Thursday, Cameron had another appointment with his doctor due to a spiked fever."We are still a little worried, it's happening so quickly," VanGorp said. "And, it's a lot of money."The treatment alone costs $15,000. An additional $10,000 to $20,000 is needed for a Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment chamber once Cameron returns. The family is estimating and hoping to raise $100,000 for the total expenses.On June 9, they will hold a bake sale and car wash at the Quality Homes of Port Charlotte parking lot. A bank account has also been set up for Cameron at Bank of America.
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