Baby to be First Canadian Treated for Optic Nerve Hypoplasia!

Posted 14 July, 2008 in ADULT STEM CELL VICTORIES! |

As many of you who follow this blog know, we have shared multiple success stories (here, here, and here) of stem cell treatments in China that successfully treat Optic Nerve Hypoplasia.

Optic Nerve Hypoplasia occurs in children when the optic nerve fails to develop leaving the children blind for their entire lives.  There is no conventional cure for this disease.  Nothing could be done for it, until now- repair stem cell therapy.

A young couple from Canada with a 6 month old baby boy suffering from this disease is planning to go to China for a stem cell treatment that can (and based on other successful cases, probably will)  help the boy see for the first time:

Jakob Bielskis came into the world six months ago. But he’s never actually seen it. And, without a special and costly eye treatment, he never will.

“He can’t see a thing, but he’s a very happy baby and it doesn’t even seem to phase him that he’s blind,” said Richard Bielskis, Jakob’s father and a former Barrie resident. “We’re the ones suffering with his condition, because he doesn’t even know what he’s missing.”

The six-month-old Calgary baby was born with a rare disorder that has left him blind.

His only hope of seeing the world is a very new treatment that uses umbilical stem cells to regenerate the optic nerve. The treatment has been developed in China, but is only offered there by a company called Beike Biotech.

“He’s helping to pave the road for others needing this treatment in Canada,” she added. “He’ll be the first Canadian baby to receive this eye treatment.” 

Click here to read this story of hope

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