Curing Childhood Blindness:
Health Story

Aired on Lifetime Television
Sunday, April 9 and July 2
Show 311

When he was just eight weeks old, Betsy and David Brint learned their son had been blind since birth. His blindness was caused by Leber Congenital Amaurosis. LCA is an inherited retinal degenerative disease which was thought to be incurable. But now, researchers are finding ways to replace or repair the defective genes that cause blindness from LCA. Dr. Gabriel Travis at the Jules Stein Eye Institute in Los Angeles, CA, says, "Scientists have isolated a gene for LCA to chromosome 17. Gene therapy works because the retina is intact. Photoreceptors are still there," he says. "Gene therapy kicks them back in gear," according to Dr. Stephan Rose of the Foundation Fighting Blindness. "It will pave the way for future therapy for all sorts of retinal diseases," he says. "Ten million Americans are blind or visually impaired. Giving sight back is miraculous," he says.