Chinaa s Controversial Stem Cell Treatment Helps Blind Girl See

A new stem cell therapy, offered exclusively in China, appears to have given a blind two-year-old the chance to see for the first time.

[Mike USA]

all those little kids are pretending to see and their doctors who check them before and after are all paid by the Chinese government to forge the results of the tests so they will show that there is improvement. It is an anti-american movement. USA and the UK should control all medical procedures. Who cares about the patients. They do not deserve to see unless the western medical establishment tells them that they should have a chance to see. Damn those Chinese doctors for trying to help people who need help. It is really a shame and makes me sick. I think we should boycott everything that comes from China because they should not be touching western people. They should only help their own people. They are trying to cause some revolution or something. Disgusting. Helping children see. Sickening.

[Yellen]

Thankfully we now have a president who understands the importance of this kind of research so that more people can be helped.

[Teena]

If only they could properly manage their food sector...

[Lucinda]

This is so exciting, and thank goodness that President Obama is open to the benefits of stem cell research.

[BAGELSAURUS REX]

Mike USA wrote:

all those little kids are pretending to see and their doctors who check them before and after are all paid by the Chinese government to forge the results of the tests so they will show that there is improvement. It is an anti-american movement. USA and the UK should control all medical procedures. Who cares about the patients. They do not deserve to see unless the western medical establishment tells them that they should have a chance to see. Damn those Chinese doctors for trying to help people who need help. It is really a shame and makes me sick. I think we should boycott everything that comes from China because they should not be touching western people. They should only help their own people. They are trying to cause some revolution or something. Disgusting. Helping children see. Sickening.

I can't even understand what you're trying say.

[BettyB]

Stem cell research is so interesting.

[Harry]

Just another way in which we need to catch up to China.

[Gina]

It's so nice to see something happy in the news. I'm delighted for this little girl. I hope that they will be able to bring similar cures over to the U.S. With the advances in science they may not even have to use stem cells.

[denisechecetti]

Mike you are very funny, but I don't think you've been properly appreciated.

Mike USA wrote:

all those little kids are pretending to see and their doctors who check them before and after are all paid by the Chinese government to forge the results of the tests so they will show that there is improvement. It is an anti-american movement. USA and the UK should control all medical procedures. Who cares about the patients. They do not deserve to see unless the western medical establishment tells them that they should have a chance to see. Damn those Chinese doctors for trying to help people who need help. It is really a shame and makes me sick. I think we should boycott everything that comes from China because they should not be touching western people. They should only help their own people. They are trying to cause some revolution or something. Disgusting. Helping children see. Sickening.

[gnubi]

Stem cells have been used in the US in the treatment of blood diseases for many years and now heart, kidney, nerve, and brain diseases. There has never been a controversy that I'm aware of for the use of adult stem cells it's the use of undifferentiated embryonic stem cells that is controversial. In addition to the moral issue surrounding their use, those stem cells have proven only to be very good at causing cancer. Adult stem cells can be harvested from the patient and are much less likely to cause GVHD. Bush's position was that the existing cell lines (53?) were more than sufficient material for determining whether the young stem cells could be trained and the Chinese did not use embryonic stem cells. BTW, I'm a candidate for an adult stem cell transplant to cure my cancer.

[wilma clarke]

Mike i am Dakota's mum, the little blind child that now has sight. hoe dare you come off with that crap, my daughter only had light perception before going to china and now she can see 3 feet away and is being sent to be tested for glasses. taking my child to china was the best thing ever and you and any other narrow minded pricks can piss off until you have lived a day in the life of me or my family

[denisechecetti]

Wilma:

Thank you for your update on your daughter Dakota. It is good to hear from someone who has actually had personal experience with stem cells transplants speaking. How long ago was Dakota's treatment? Did they advise you to bring Dakota again or to wait? Thank you for relaying your positive interaaction.
Denise

wilma clarke wrote:

Mike i am Dakota's mum, the little blind child that now has sight. hoe dare you come off with that crap, my daughter only had light perception before going to china and now she can see 3 feet away and is being sent to be tested for glasses. taking my child to china was the best thing ever and you and any other narrow minded pricks can piss off until you have lived a day in the life of me or my family

[wilma clarke]

We went for the treatment on 3rd feb 09 and returned home on the 2nd march. Before the treatment Dakota had been having trouble with her bowels and had been on medicine for 2 years to help her to go the toilet, since her 1st treatment she hasnt needed medicine once and is going regularly on her own. we understand that some people are against stem cells but for someone to come along along and say my child is lying is an insult. Dakota is only coming 3 so therefore she wouldnt know how to lie to that extent.
my daughter has come on so much since getting stem cells, seeing the smile on my daughters face when she saw herself in the mirror for the first time was priceless
you dont have to go back for more treatment but you can as it will hopefully improve more with every treatment.

[Lisa]

Update on the Dakota Story

http://news.bbc.co.uk/panorama/hi/front_page/...

I just can;t believe the difference between what the parents feel is different about Dakota and what the test results are saying.
"We have no evidence of the sight increasing temporarily - but there is a very interesting dynamic - that old saying that children can feel their parents' expectations in the next room."
The Clarkes disagreed whole-heartedly with expert results in Belfast that cannot detect any improvement in their own daughter's vision.
"My daughter's seeing things. For the first time my daughter is seeing things," says Wilma Clarke. "I know she is seeing because she is a completely different child."

[Lisa]

I do not understand why i have a mean mark on over my post. i am just referring to the fact that the vision tests showed no improvemement but the parents say she is a different child.

It is bizarre like the moovie "The Changling".

[wilma clarke]

Actually 1 of the tests showed a quicker response time but because all 3 didnt they said it wasnt consistant, which to me is crap. if there was no change at all then not even 1 time would have been quicker. Also to do a accurate VER or VEP test the person has to be alert, settled and focused which believe me Dakota wasnt and the BBC have footage of her getting the test done and being hysterical but they forgot to air that bit. They also forgot to put in the part were 2 days after coming home from china Dakota had an appointment at the eye hospital and they agreed that she was seeing something, so much so they wanted her to be tested for glasses. While in china we put videos on her website of her starting to follow objects but the bbc asked us to take them off so they would be the first to show them but guess what they didnt. They also left out how her bowel problem seemed to clear up, a problem that even after 2 years the doctors at home couldnt sort out yet after the 1st stem cell injection her bowels started working without the help of medicine.
As for that crap of how "children can feel their parents expections in the next room", we went to china with the feeling that it wouldnt work but it was worth a shot so that its complete rubbish.

like i said before, anyone is welcome to contact me and even come and see my daughter and try and tell me she cant see

[Lisa]

wilma clarke wrote:

Actually 1 of the tests showed a quicker response time but because all 3 didnt they said it wasnt consistant, which to me is crap. if there was no change at all then not even 1 time would have been quicker. Also to do a accurate VER or VEP test the person has to be alert, settled and focused which believe me Dakota wasnt and the BBC have footage of her getting the test done and being hysterical but they forgot to air that bit. They also forgot to put in the part were 2 days after coming home from china Dakota had an appointment at the eye hospital and they agreed that she was seeing something, so much so they wanted her to be tested for glasses. While in china we put videos on her website of her starting to follow objects but the bbc asked us to take them off so they would be the first to show them but guess what they didnt. They also left out how her bowel problem seemed to clear up, a problem that even after 2 years the doctors at home couldnt sort out yet after the 1st stem cell injection her bowels started working without the help of medicine.
As for that crap of how "children can feel their parents expections in the next room", we went to china with the feeling that it wouldnt work but it was worth a shot so that its complete rubbish.
like i said before, anyone is welcome to contact me and even come and see my daughter and try and tell me she cant see

Thank you wilma for the missing info, I really did not want to appear rude. You are her mom and you know whether when she can see better or not.

Best wishes, Lisa

[wilma clarke]

not a problem Lisa. Dakota has another eye appointment next wed so will keep everyone updated.

[wilma clarke]

well Dakota's eye appointment went really well, she was following the pictures that the doctor was moving about and she even saw the mirror a s soon as we walked in the room. The biggest thing to happen was at an appointment at the child development centre last week were she has to been seen by everyone, OT, phsyio, speech and language, eye doctor and her own doctor. The phsyio is pleased with her that she has discharged her. But it was while in with the physio that she proved to everyone that she couls see, she got a football and kicked it around the room and ran straight to it every time, then as she was walking towards the mirror she stopped as she reached the soft play mat and lifted her foot to step up onto it. 5 months ago Dakota wasnt doing anything like that, she wasnt even walking.

[Amy]

I have son who has been blind since age 6 because of a brain tumor on his optic nerves. The nerves are still intact, but there is no blood circulation. He is now 10 and I was wondering how to get things started to see if this stem cell transplant would work for him. I would appreciate any advice.