Source: Fredericksburg

By CATHY DYSON

King George County child who was born blind shows improvement after stem-cell treatments in China

The family of Summer Grace, who was born blind, believes their 18-month-old "saw the light" after controversial medical care in China.

Halfway through her stem-cell treatments, Summer was taken into a dark bathroom where a doctor shone a flashlight, said Beth Allison, her grandmother. Summer followed the ray of light with her eyes, something she'd never done.

"It was pretty amazing," said Mandy Allison, Summer's mother.

The Allisons, who live in King George County, hope the milestone is one of many Summer will experience.

"I'm just going to keep praying and hoping the stem cells do their job and work their miracle," her grandmother said. "It should be an exciting year for her."

Summer received eight stem-cell treatments from umbilical-cord blood during her 33-day stay in a Chinese hospital. Her family hopes the treatments will grow her optic nerve, which didn't develop on its own, and cure the rare disorder from which she suffers: septo-optic dysplasia.

Doctors in China told the Allisons it can take up to a year for the cells to do their work. Most improvements probably will come in nine months, they said.

The Allisons sought the treatment in China after they were told by American ophthalmologists that nothing could be done to correct Summer's blindness.

Beth, a registered nurse, wouldn't accept that.

During Internet research, she came across Beike Biotechnology, an American company in China that gives patients doses of stem cells. According to the company, nearly 90 percent of almost 4,000 patients with ailments from autism to multiple sclerosis have noted some improvement.

The company hasn't submitted to clinical trials, and the treatments are not approved in the United States.

Beike has been particularly successful using stem cells to grow optic nerves, according to its Web site.

Like many of the patients in China, the Allisons paid for the trip through community events and fundraisers. The Allisons also used their own money--Beth cashed in her retirement fund--and got help from Fredericksburg philanthropist Doris Buffett.

The Allisons raised $43,000, which was enough for the treatments and to send Beth, Mandy and Summer to Qingdao, a city in eastern China facing the Yellow Sea.

Summer got eight treatments--four through her veins and four dripped into her spine.

She didn't cope well with the needles but was in a good mood otherwise.

"You'd never know she was away from home," Beth Allison said.

Her mother and grandmother suffered from homesickness and were surprised by the differences between American and Chinese hospitals.

The Allisons had to provide their own equipment, including a thermometer, and medicines for Summer, except for the stem cells. They monitored Summer's vital signs, cooked for themselves and cleaned their hospital room, where they stayed the whole time.

The Allisons provided the pots they cooked with, the dishes they ate on and the mop, broom and anti-bacterial wipes they used for cleaning.

Foreigners are still rare in the Chinese city, and the Allisons were regarded as celebrities. One phrase they quickly learned was "Please don't stare."

Despite the lifestyle adjustments, the Allisons said their hosts were most accommodating.

"It was a culture shock, and it was very smelly there, but they were the kindest people," Beth Allison said.

Since the family returned, Summer has done things she never did before the trip, her family said. She reached for the lights on the Christmas tree, and she regularly puts her face against her lighted toys.

She used to keep her head down so much that people who saw her out in public thought she was sleeping.

Now she looks up, particularly if there's a bright light overhead, her mother said.

"I think Summer already exceeded my expectations when she saw the light in China," her grandmother said. "But I'm expecting more to come."

Cathy Dyson: 540/374-5425
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