Cody's Journey to Receiving
the Gift of Sight
the Gift of Sight
A LITTLE ABOUT CODY
Hello. My name is Jessica. My son, Cody, is an energetic, typical 3 year old little boy. He loves music and Sesame Street. He enjoys swimming and riding on the quad with his Dad, Josh. The only thing that sets him apart from other 3 year olds is his lack of sight. Cody was born blind, a condition called optic-nerve hypoplasia (ONH). Cody attends Western Pennsylvania School for Blind Children's Pre-school in Pittsburgh, Pa. His teachers and therapists are working wonders with Cody!
In Fall 2007, our family had been informed of a new stemcell treament being done in China. They use umbilical cord stemcells on children with ONH and are having great success in restoring their vision! Prior to our trip, 16 other children with ONH have received the stemcell treatments with nothing but positive results. Thanks to our very generous family, friends, community, and some complete strangers, Cody made number 17. We went to Qingdao, China, from May-June 2008. While there Cody received five stemcell injections over a four week period. This trip was completly made possible by the goodness we have seen in so many people! Words could never express how grateful we really are for the love and generosity that has been shown to Cody and our family!
We've been asked why not wait until this treament is available in the US? Cody needed this now, the younger the child receiving the treatment, the better the results seem to be. Medical experts estimate the earliest this will be available in the US is 7-10 years. We didn't have that amount of time. We are thankful he was as young as he was to be receiving these treaments. I want to be able to tell Cody that we did everything we possibly could for him. We've been told Cody will be blind his entire life, and there was nothing we could do. We know now that doesn't have to be true. There was something we can do. Even if it did mean traveling halfway around the world.
The trip was a huge success! Cody now can see and pick out all his colors and shapes! He is able to see and name what everything is, and the color of it as well! He is like a whole new kid! His doctor's at Children's Hospital feel the stemcells were not only successful in helping his vision, but also a boost to his overall brain. We saw changes in him right away- he became more focused, more social, extremly verbal, just and overall immediate boost to his brain! We are actually planning to go back for a second round of treatments very soon! We are beyond excited! Thank you to all who continue to fundraise for Cody to help cover medical costs. You are all our angels.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read about our beautiful little boy!
If you would like more information on how to help support Cody on this life-changing journey, you can reach Jessica at www.webstarts.com/codyfend or at Jam29Isabel_sru@yahoo.com .
We are accepting donations at any National City Bank in the name of The Cody Fend Fund, or send it to:
The Cody Fend Fund
P.O. Box 107
East Butler, Pa 16029
Thank you so very much!
Hello. My name is Jessica. My son, Cody, is an energetic, typical 3 year old little boy. He loves music and Sesame Street. He enjoys swimming and riding on the quad with his Dad, Josh. The only thing that sets him apart from other 3 year olds is his lack of sight. Cody was born blind, a condition called optic-nerve hypoplasia (ONH). Cody attends Western Pennsylvania School for Blind Children's Pre-school in Pittsburgh, Pa. His teachers and therapists are working wonders with Cody!
In Fall 2007, our family had been informed of a new stemcell treament being done in China. They use umbilical cord stemcells on children with ONH and are having great success in restoring their vision! Prior to our trip, 16 other children with ONH have received the stemcell treatments with nothing but positive results. Thanks to our very generous family, friends, community, and some complete strangers, Cody made number 17. We went to Qingdao, China, from May-June 2008. While there Cody received five stemcell injections over a four week period. This trip was completly made possible by the goodness we have seen in so many people! Words could never express how grateful we really are for the love and generosity that has been shown to Cody and our family!
We've been asked why not wait until this treament is available in the US? Cody needed this now, the younger the child receiving the treatment, the better the results seem to be. Medical experts estimate the earliest this will be available in the US is 7-10 years. We didn't have that amount of time. We are thankful he was as young as he was to be receiving these treaments. I want to be able to tell Cody that we did everything we possibly could for him. We've been told Cody will be blind his entire life, and there was nothing we could do. We know now that doesn't have to be true. There was something we can do. Even if it did mean traveling halfway around the world.
The trip was a huge success! Cody now can see and pick out all his colors and shapes! He is able to see and name what everything is, and the color of it as well! He is like a whole new kid! His doctor's at Children's Hospital feel the stemcells were not only successful in helping his vision, but also a boost to his overall brain. We saw changes in him right away- he became more focused, more social, extremly verbal, just and overall immediate boost to his brain! We are actually planning to go back for a second round of treatments very soon! We are beyond excited! Thank you to all who continue to fundraise for Cody to help cover medical costs. You are all our angels.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read about our beautiful little boy!
If you would like more information on how to help support Cody on this life-changing journey, you can reach Jessica at www.webstarts.com/codyfend or at Jam29Isabel_sru@yahoo.com .
We are accepting donations at any National City Bank in the name of The Cody Fend Fund, or send it to:
The Cody Fend Fund
P.O. Box 107
East Butler, Pa 16029
Thank you so very much!
