Lighthouse donation could help Weston see for first time

Thursday, 08 May 2008
Three-year-old Weston Wright, and his mother Christina recently received a donation from the San Antonio Lighthouse for the Blind. Photo by Steve Valdez
By Noi Mahoney Editor


No one understands life as a blind person better than the employees at the San Antonio Lighthouse for the Blind. So when the possibility arose of giving 3-year-old Weston Wright his eyesight, employees at the Lighthouse jumped right in.
Last week, employees at the Lighthouse donated $5,384 to Wright. The money will help Wright and his family travel to China for a miracle operation that may help restore his vision.
“It is a good feeling to be able to help,” said Nancy Lipton, spokeswoman for the Lighthouse. “A lot of our employees will never regain their sight. But to be able to give someone the gift of sight, it’s amazing.”
Wright has been blind since birth, suffering from a condition known as Septo Optic Dysplasia. It is a rare condition causing abnormalities of the brain and a poor functioning pituitary gland.
“It is very rare, but we are seeing more and more cases,” said Christina Wright, Weston’s mother. “Weston was about 4 months old when he was diagnosed with it. The doctor said your child is blind and will never see. It was an absolute shock.”
The debilitating condition has left Weston Wright with a multitude of other problems. He is undersized for a 3-year-old because his body doesn’t produce enough growth hormones.
The boy must also endure blood work and multiple medications every three months.
Christina Wright, and her husband Marcus were told by one doctor that there was no procedure or treatment that could help Weston. Several months ago however, Christina heard about a $28,000 procedure involving umbilical cord stem cell therapy that might help Weston.
The procedure, which involves stem cell injections, has been used in the U.S., but not for Septo Optic Dysplasia. Weston Wright would have to travel to the Chinese city of Qingdao to receive it.
“I found about it on one of those ‘Nation in the News’ TV shows,” Christina Wright said.
It involves a series of injections of stem cells into Weston’s spinal cord. It is hoped the stem cells will stimulate Weston’s optic nerves and pituitary gland.
To get to China, the family needed to raise $40,000 for the treatment that could give Weston his sight and the hope of a better life.
The Wrights, who also have an 8-year-old son named Nicholas, said when they first heard of the operation and its costs, they “prayed.”
“The lord brought us to this situation,” Christina Wright said. “Then we started planning.”
Friends held a fundraiser for Weston Wright in February. Then, a TV station picked up Weston’s story on March 30. That’s when employees at the Lighthouse heard about Weston’s plight.
“We decided we would hold an internal fundraiser,” Lipton said. “We told our employees, whatever you raise, the company will match.”
The Lighthouse was eventually able to donate $5,384 for Weston’s cause. The funds helped the Wright family meet its total of $40,000 for the trip.
The Lighthouse employs about 500 people, about 150 of whom are vision-impaired. It is located on the South Side at 2305 Roosevelt Ave.
The Lighthouse makes fleece lining on parkas for the Navy, chin straps for helmets for the Army, as well as blankets for Boeing Co. and pens for the military.
“A lot of our employees live on the South Side,” Lipton said. “These are tough economic times. Some of our employees don’t have a lot of money to spare, but they did what they could.”
Weston Wright and his family leave for China on July 1. They will return by July 30.
“I just want to say thanks to everyone for praying for us and supporting us,” Christina Wright said. “Everyone’s help allowed us to change Weston’s life.”
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