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Meet Austin!

The Hope For Austin Fund
Help A Young Boy See With His Own Eyes!

Austin Anderson  -A story of love, hope and bravery...

Austin is a 10 yr old boy that has had anything but a normal life, he is delayed in every possible way. Austin has never been able to interact w/ others very well because of his delays which are caused by his visual impairment, autism, and growth hormone deficiency.  these stem cells retrieved from umbilical cords no exactly where to go once they are injected into his spine, they will not only help him to see but will help his growth and developmental delays, I have tried to give my baby the most normal life possible w/ out making him feel odd. he is a blessing to me and has made me appreciate the things that most of us take for granted in our every day lives. for 10 yrs I've been told there was no hope for him to ever see me and that he would remain the way he is.

Now there's hope to me this is a miracle. I love my boy more than anything the way he is rite now but if I can help him have a more productive life, I will. Austin doesn't know what its like to have a best friend ,a sleep over etc...he's lived a very sheltered life and I want more for him.  I've watched friends w/ their children grow and progress and it really hurts to see him stay the same and watch everyone else's children grow in every way rite past him...please help me give him a productive life, he's a very precious little boy.

Austin Anderson was born on July 28th, 1997.  He is 10 years old. He was 3 months old before his mother, realized that he couldn’t see. Austin was diagnosed with optic nerve hypoplasia. It is a birth defect that prevents Austin from seeing even light and dark. Austin also has a pituitary defect called septo optic dysplasia. This is a growth problem. His life is dependant on the growth hormone shots and hormone pills he must take every day of his life. He is also mildly autistic. Bolivar Herald - Free Press Feature Article

After 10 years and many doctors and research, there is finally hope for Austin. In Webb City, right here in Missouri, the first known American child has undergone and returned home from this amazing surgery being done in China.

Yes, we will eventually have the opportunity to have this surgery in the U.S., but with our FDA and other long processes, it might be many years. It might be too late for me.

Even the growth defect is expected to see improvement with the stem-cell transplant. The response is unknown for autism. Lots of the studies and research are being done right here in the U.S. but won’t be available for a long time.

Rylea Barlett, the little girl that has already had this surgery saw light and dark very quickly. Now she can see and recognize her mother’s face. She can see the big “E” on the eye chart. Repeat visits have already been shown to give further improvement. The umbilical stem-cell transplant is not expected to give complete normal site to the kids that have optic nerve hypoplasia the but the sooner you get it the better!

Austin is a happy little boy. He goes to the Missouri School for the Blind in St. Louis and has learned a lot of things that help to prepare him for the best quality of life he can have. Giving Austin sight is the best gift that anyone could give to him and his family.

The stem-cell transplant will not hurt Austin or any of the babies that the stem cells are taken from. They are retrieved from live baby’s umbilical cords. Most people don’t know that the research is just as promising for these stem cells as those taken by aborted children. That is important to us.

Time is of the essence for Austin. It is an absolute miracle! Please remember this web site and look for more information in the Springfield and Bolivar newspapers on Austin.