VisionWalk Update

I have been a negligent little blogger, for which I apologize. Hoping to have time soon for a meaty post or two, but between houseguests, holidays, and the bajillion pages of case record I'm trying to review and process, it'll probably be next week before I give you anything substantive.

But!! This Saturday is the inaugural Denver VisionWalk. Shattering our initial goal, my team has raised over $10,000 as of yesterday, and we are setting our sights on 11K. The response from our friends, family, and even internet strangers has been overwhelming. To say we are thrilled is a massive understatement.

Even as we collect these much-needed research dollars, the Foundation Fighting Blindness is announcing some very promising results. Last week, for example, the FFB announced results from a recent study in which transplanted stem cells showed a 100% rate of success in restoring some vision in rats with age-related macular degeneration. The next step for this research is testing in rats with other retinal diseases, including retinitis pigmentosa, which is what I have. Human trials are on the horizon (yet another reason to press for broader political support and protection for stem-cell research).

Of course, no update of this kind is complete without another request for money. If you would still like to contribute, just click here: http://www.visionwalk.org/site/TR?px=1079010&pg=personal&fr_id=1240.

Stay tuned for the walk recap - the Usher's Mushers are currently crushing the field for the Flying Pig award!