" He’s making more eye contact, and initiating the eye contact himself. He’ll come to me wanting things. Normally he would just walk around in circles and get anxious and upset, and I’d have to work it out. But now he’s coming to me. "
AVONDALE, AZ - An Avondale girl is now able to see for the first time in her life.
Two-year-old Skyler Goodwin was born almost completely blind, unable to see anything except for changes in light.
Now Skyler can see 12 inches in front of her face, thanks to an operation overseas.
Four weeks ago, Skyler’s parents made the decision to send her to China for a special procedure that isn’t available in the United States.
After 36 days and a series of umbilical cord stem cell treatments, Skyler’s vision drastically improved.
“We're noticing she's tracking objects a little more, she'll grab objects and she's also getting around the house a lot better,” said Skyler’s mother, Stormy Goodwin.
Before the treatments Skyler was unable to walk, a skill that according to health experts, children usually acquire between nine and 18 months of age.
“We've never seen her improve so much in such a short period of time,” Goodwin said.
The Goodwin family said the stem cell treatments weren’t cheap.
After a year of fundraising, the family finally gathered close to $40,000 allowing them to proceed with the treatments.
“It was completely worth it and I really think if you have a child that has a disability and there’s nothing else out there -- keep searching because we completely found this by accident,” Goodwin said.
According to Skyler’s doctors, her vision will continue to improve over the next 12 months.
