Charlotte, IA — An ocular surface stem-cell transplant, followed by a cornea transplant, has given Dean Grimm his sight back after he was blinded in 1983.
Grimm's physician, Dr. Edward Holland, first had to perform the stem-cell transplant in February 1999, using donor tissues from Grimm's sister, JoAnn, supplemented by those from a cadaver.
A scalpel was used to extract the stem cells, which look like a small piece of skin taken from the outer border of the cornea, Holland said. They were then transplanted to Grimm's right eye.
Holland said a successful stem-cell transplant was needed to provide a healthy environment for the cornea to grow. Integral to the process was Grimm's regimen of anti-rejection drugs, which would help his body accept the tissue.
Grimm's first cornea transplant took place in June 1999, giving him the opportunity to see his three children for the first time in his life. A year later, his body rejected the transplant.
A second cornea transplant also failed because of side effects and a lowered dosage of the anti-rejection drugs.
The third and most recent transplant, done in October 2001, worked well for about seven months, when Grimm's vision suddenly went from nearly 20-20 to the level of legal blindness, Holland said.
Holland said he was able to reverse the rejection by significantly increasing the dosage of Grimm's medication.
Holland said Grimm's prognosis looks good. At the last visit, his vision was up to about 20-50.
(This article courtesy of Steven Ertelt and the Pro-Life Infonet email newsletter. For more information or to subscribe go to www.prolifeinfo.org or email infonet@prolifeinfo.org.)
Indiana Pro-Lifers Viewed as Role Models in Abortion Battle
by Rusty Pugh
The nation's leading advocacy group for unborn children says all pro-lifers should follow the example of an Indiana group which is petitioning their local hospital to stop doing abortions.
Tonight, the Porter Memorial Health System in Indiana will consider the petition. Porter County Right to Life decided to go directly to the hospital's board of trustees and ask them to stop the killing of innocent babies. Patrick Delaney of the American Life League says they are setting a great example.
“Community-based hospitals … answer to the local community,” Delaney explains. “Therefore, if there is a petition drive to the trustees of that hospital, then very often they'll review the policy of performing abortions at the local hospital. Since it's proven to be successful in Valparaiso [in Indiana], where they're actually going to have a review, we'd like to encourage pro-lifers across the country to do the same thing in their local communities.”
Delaney says if the hospital agrees and stops the killing, it will be an end of an era of evil that began at the hospital in 1973.
(This article courtesy of Agape Press.)
