Tatyana Larbi, Retinopathy of Prematurity

United States of America, Age 5

This Patient Experience was gratefully submitted to us by Tatyana's mother, Andrea Larbi. These are her own words about Tatyana's condition and improvements.

Condition

Original diagnosis prior to surgeries was ROP Stage 5 in both eyes
After initial surgeries:

Right eye--partial retina attachment with some scar tissue and optic nerve damage
Left eye--total retinal attachment with optic nerve damage

Prior to stem cell therapy Tatyana wore contact lenses at +32 strength plus prescription glasses at +5 strength.
Light perception only prior to ASC treatment.

Course of Treatment

5 IVs stem cell transplants

Reason for Coming for Treatment

Tatyana was born premature at 23 weeks, weighing only 1 lb. 0oz.  Directly after her birth she was rushed to NICU where she remained for 4 months. During her stay she overcame several medical conditions such as underdeveloped lungs and a hole in the heart, but she did not overcome the beginning stages of ROP. Over the next 5 years she had several surgeries in an attempt to give her vision. Previous surgeries included: Vitrectomy, Lensectomy, Scleral buckling and Fluid-gas exchange all performed in the United States. After much effort on the doctor’s part she was left with only light perception. Our reason for seeking stem cell treatment was to repair the optic nerve damage in both eyes.

Condition After the Treatment

After her second stem cell treatment we noticed she wanted to walk around the hospital without holding Mommy’s hand. This showed us she was getting more confident with her environment due to more visual input.  After her 3rd treatment we noticed her eyes slowed down rolling around. She began to focus on objects. After the 4th treatment she was able to grab an object that is held in front of her. After her 5th and final treatment she was able to “identify” some objects placed in front of her such as a tissue box.

Condition After the Treatment

Tatyana has shown great improvement in her vision. She no longer wears contact lens. Her glasses have been reduced from +5 to +2.5 strength. Her immune system has improved. She used to catch colds all the time but she hasn’t had a cold since her stem cell treatments. She is able to see people and identify them by looking at them. She can distinguish between 2 objects using her eyes. She is learning her colors and can tell me how many fingers I am holding up. She watches TV, actually looking at the screen. She can see her shadow and loves to try and chase it. She saw lighting for the first time. When walking outside she knows if she is approaching a curb and either steps down or steps up without prompts.  She is now very active and likes to run and skip and often runs or walks ahead of me instead of me guiding her.  We have an appointment scheduled in the near future to have the doctor check her optic nerve, retina and remaining scar tissue to see what changed post stem cell treatment.  I know he will be surprised at the results.  We have been so blessed to have this opportunity to help our daughter.  Starting this process we said we would be happy if we saw only small improvements, but we received way more than we could have ever expected and we are so thrilled.  It’s a dream come true.