Bridport: Miracle blind boy's sight hopes dashed (From Bridport and Lyme Regis News)

Bridport: Miracle blind boy's sight hopes dashed

10:05am Thursday 4th February 2010

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HOPES to give the gift of sight to a miracle baby blinded at birth have been dashed.

Last year Lorenzo Fulton’s family began a fundraising campaign to pay for pioneering stem cell surgery with a top Chinese surgeon.

But as dates were being discussed and flights booked the family received the devastating news that his eyes were too damaged and he would remain blind for the rest of his life.

Lorenzo, 6, was born prematurely at 23 weeks.

Nobody thought he would live.

Tiny Lorenzo won his fight to live but the life-saving treatment cost him his sight.

Lorenzo’s mother Amanda Brake and partner David Fulton of North Allington, Bridport, were in Italy when he was born and language barriers meant that after four months in an incubator they only found out he had grade 5 ROP (retinopathy of prematurity) and was completely blind they day before they took him home.

Mum Amanda said it was heartbreaking but they never gave up hope and they pinned their faith on stem cell treatment.

Friends in Beijing put her in touch with a top Chinese surgeon who offered the surgery for £10,000. But after beginning their fundraising campaign, sending the medical records to the surgeon they received devastating news.

Amanda said: “The retina has deformed the eyeball so much that the doctor feels it would not be worth putting us and of course Lorenzo through the discomfort and disappointment.”

Sister Yvette of North Allington added: “We were all set to go. It was a real blow because we were so hopeful.

“Even to get back a little sight so he could have seen shadows and shapes would have been something.

“But after looking into Lorenzo’s records more the doctor said his eyes were too damaged.

“Now we are waiting to see if stem cell treatment could help his cerebral cortex damage.

“But he will never see.

“To have had any chance of success it would have had to be done virtually at birth.

“When Lorenzo was born there wasn’t the breakthroughs in stem cell research there are now.”

The family had raised around £2,000 and has offered donors their money back.

Amanda said: “We have been astounded and touched how generous and helpful everyone has been towards helping Lorenzo.”

Where money has been raised through events organisers have been given the option of choosing another charity.

Yvette added: “We put a stop to the fundraising as soon as we knew and most people have said we can keep the money in a fund for Lorenzo.

“One gentleman who is a friend of my brother’s gave £500 and said to keep it as Lorenzo will always need assistance. At least we have found out a bit more medically that the damage to his cerebral cortex is the reason he can’t build muscle so he’ll always be a skinny bean.

“We have had to accept he’ll never see.

“He’s a lovely boy and we love him as he is, it just would have been nice for him.”

Amanda said his fund money could be spent on stem cell treatment for his brain damage if appropriate, healing therapy, training with life skills and confidence, eg, horse riding, swimming lessons, music lessons and/or training his own dog for the blind.

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