Gracie

        Gracie Mae Carroll is a smart, loving, energetic, 3 year-old girl. She looks and acts like a typical toddler, but she is special. When Gracie was 7 months old, she was diagnosed with Septo-Optic Dysplasia and Optic Nerve Hypoplasia. SOD is a hormone disorder that is categorized by having a small pituitary gland (the hormone controller of the brain), small optic nerves (optic nerve hypoplasia), and missing part of the brain (in Gracie's case, it is the septum pellucidum). At this point, Gracie's only problem with this disorder is that she is visually impaired and legally blind. She is still too young to measure the exact amount she can see. At some point in her life, it is likely that she could develop a hormone imbalance. Every doctor has said that there is nothing that can be done to improve her disorder nor her vision.

        As her mother, I am determined to give Gracie the best quality of life possible. I stumbled upon a website for Beike Biotech after learning that there has been continuous research on SOD/ONH. I have found that umbilical cord stem cell treatments have been used in China for several years. This treatment is still being researched in the US and will not be available for many more years. Beike Biotech offers hope for people with many different disorders to have a better quality of life. Umbilical cord stem cell treatments have helped thousands of people and hundreds who have the same

diagnoses as Gracie. My hope for Gracie is to gain vision through umbilical cord stem cell treatments in Qingdao, China through Beike Biotech. Gracie has been accepted for treatment, and it will cost us a great amount of money to get this done. We are hoping to raise around $40,000 to cover the cost of treatment, travel, and other expenses.

Any and all support in sending Gracie to China for a chance of greater vision is deeply appreciated!

                With sincere gratitude,

                         Abby Green
                    (Gracie's mommy)

How long will you be gone?
We will be living in the Qingdao Chengyang People's Hospital for 33 days. This does not include the travel to and from China (at least a day to get there and a day to get back).

What are the risks involved?
That's the best part! There are no risks. The worst that could happen is no change. This is why I decided to take the chance. There are either results, or not. The only side effect that I have read about with the stem cell patients are that some get headaches after the lumbar puncture. This is very similar to a woman getting an epidural during labor. Gracie will have to lay flat for several hours after the lumbar puncture. The only other risks are the same as being in any hospital... risk of infection, contracting a virus, etc.

How will Gracie receive the stem cells?
The doctors at Qingdao Chengyang People's Hospital in Qingdao, China have determined that Gracie will receive 6 umbilical cord stem cell treatments total, by both IV and lumbar puncture.

Please visit the links on the right or e-mail me directly (abbygreen@hotmail.com) to learn more!