Source: Theherald

A CHARLESTOWN boy is showing marked signs of improvement in sight after his first round of stem cell treatment.

Connor Wink, 11, and his mother Tracey recently returned from China where he received a round of injections, which are not available in Australia.

The treatment appears to have had dramatic results.

Connor has gained light perception, a sign the treatment is working.

Born blind, he also suffers nystagmus, a condition which means Connor has poor muscle control causing his eyes to move frequently.

"That has slowed right down so it's certainly a big plus," Mrs Wink said.

Connor is the second Hunter child to undergo stem cell treatment in China.

Holly Arvidson, 12, of Denman, is having a second round of the procedure in a bid to restore her sight.

For the past 12 months, The Herald has been following the progress of Holly, who is in China with her family for the treatment which involves stem cell injections, acupuncture and bone marrow cultivation. The treatment is only available in a handful of hospitals worldwide. It has an 80 per cent success rate but since Holly's first round her condition has not changed.

Mrs Wink said she is praying Holly receives a positive result this time.

"Connor was lucky and we have seen improvements. We were sitting in front of a fire at the weekend and he could tell when someone was putting logs on it," she said.

The Charlestown community and Connor's school, Hillsborough Public, helped raise money for the China trip.

"We still have enough money to travel for Connor's second round of treatment thanks to those earlier fund-raising efforts which Connor was a big part of, raising $6000 busking."