December 5th, 2012

Only the needle hurt in the hand. 

Ryan will have 8 treatments during our stay in Guangzhou. 4- IV, 2- lumbar (spinal), 2 retro bulbar (behind the eye).   IV Treatments only took about 20-30 minutes.

Smiling for the camera. Needle in the top of the hand for the IV.

They monitored Ryan during the treatment.

  

They had a large saline IV and then a small packet of stem cells they put with it.

We went on a walk during the afternoon.

Looking out at the barges on the water.

The hospital entrance. Look how tall Ryan is. He'll be 13 on December 8.

They are on their way! :)

11/30/2012 (update from Marc)

Audrey and Ryan are in Los Angeles waiting for their flight to China.  We are excited and a little anxious for the trip.  

How do we ever say thank you enough to all of you who have made this opportunity possible.  We are so grateful.  

We are visiting family in Utah and leaving for China tomorrow.

11/28/2012

We were able to spend Thanksgiving with family in Utah for the first time in the ten years since we moved away.  We missed Syd and Lance, though.  They spent Thanksgiving with Lance's family at Disneyland.  We were able to see them last night.  While they were gone we took care of their dog Atlas.  Ryan had a good time taking him for a walk (or was it Atlas taking him for a walk?).  That dog is strong!  We now know firsthand why they use Huskies to pull sleds.

We leave tomorrow to go to China.  Our flight goes from Salt Lake City to LA.  Then we will fly from LA to Guangzhou.  Even though we leave November 29, we will land in China on December 1st.  There will be a van there waiting to take us to the hospital.  Ryan and I will be staying there in the same room the whole time--from Dec 1-22.  We have to provide our own food.  They have a common area in the hospital with a microwave and hotplate so we are taking a suitcase of things that can be easily prepared in a microwave or just eaten without worrying about cooking.

We are fasting for Ryan on December 2nd

11/19/2012

Ryan Crozier and his mom are going to China for stem cell therapy Dec 1-22.  On Sunday, Dec. 2, his family will be fasting for him to have success with the stem cell treatments.  We invite you to join with us.

We will keep you updated on our China trip on our blog at www.HelpRyanSee.com (now at this blog instead).

Thanks everyone for all your help and encouragement!  This is a dream come true!

Would you like to know more about Fasting?  Fasting is to voluntarily refrain from eating or drinking for the purpose of drawing closer to the Lord and requesting his blessings. Prayer is a necessary part of fasting. Throughout the scriptures, prayer and fasting are mentioned together. Our fasting should be accompanied by sincere prayer, and we should begin and end our fasting with prayer.

In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints today, one Sabbath day each month is set aside for the purpose of fasting. During this time, Church members go without food and water for twenty-four hours. They then contribute to the Church the money that they would have spent on food for those meals. This money is called a fast offering. The Church uses the fast offerings to assist the poor and needy.  To help children understand fasting and prayer there is a story you can read them HERE. 

Fasting is mentioned many times in the scriptures listed below:

• We fasted and besought our God, Ezra 8:21–23, 31
• I fasted and prayed before the God of heaven, Neh. 1:4
• Fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink for three days, Esth. 4:16
• I humbled my soul with fasting, Ps. 35:13
• Is not this the fast that I have chosen?, Isa. 58:3–12
• I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer, with fasting, Dan. 9:3
• Turn ye to me with all your heart, and with fasting, Joel 2:12
• Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, Jonah 3:5
• Jesus fasted for forty days, Matt. 4:2 (Ex. 34:28; 1 Kgs. 19:8; Luke 4:1–2).
• Appear not unto men to fast, Matt. 6:18 (3 Ne. 13:16).
• This kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting, Matt. 17:21
• Continue in fasting and praying, Omni 1:26 (4 Ne. 1:12).
• They began to fast, and to pray to the Lord their God, Mosiah 27:22
• I have fasted and prayed many days that I might know these things, Alma 5:46
• The children of God joined in fasting and mighty prayer, Alma 6:6
• The sons of Mosiah had given themselves to much prayer and fasting, Alma 17:3, 9
• A time of fasting and prayer followed the death of many Nephites, Alma 28:5–6
• They did fast much and pray much, Alma 45:1 (Hel. 3:35).
• Let thy food be prepared with singleness of heart that thy fasting may be perfect, D&C 59:13–14
• Ye shall continue in prayer and fasting, D&C 88:76

We have our Chinese Visas!

When you apply for a Chinese Visa it's kind of a Catch-22.   You have to have your airline ticket reservations and place to stay documented when you apply for the Visa.  This made me a bit nervous when I bought the airline tickets.  I got thinking, "What if they don't approve our Visas?  Then what?"  So I bought travel insurance, just in case.  I was very happy to get the phone call yesterday saying the Chinese Visas were ready to be picked up. 

Here are the directions to apply for a Chinese Visa.
PLEASE GATHER, PREPARE AND SEND THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENTS:

Valid Passport:

You must send the actual passport. The passport must have at least twelve (12) months validity remaining before expiration and has at least one complete blank visa page for the visa stamp.

Visa Application Form:

Download, completely fill-out and sign China visa application form. One form per applicant. *** Do not leave any areas blank but instead write "N/A" if you don't have answer to a question, or if the question does not apply to you.

 Additional Requirements for Minor:

All minor applicants must submit a copy of birth certificate, and a copy of both parents passport.

 Photograph:

You must provide one 2"x2" passport type photo.

Supporting Documents:

You must provide one of the following documents for a tourist visa.

• Photocopy of the roundtrip airline ticket and hotel reservation.
• An Invitation Letter for Tourist Group of Invitation Letter for Tourist by a Duly Authorized Tourism Unit;
• An Invitation Letter issued by companies, corporations, institutions and individuals in China. If the invitation letter is issued by an individual in China, the photocopy of the ID of the individual is required.
The invitation letter issued by companies, corporations, institutions and individuals in China, shall include the following items: (A) Personal information of the application: name, gender, date of birth, passport number, etc. (B) Information concerning the applicant's visit to China: purpose of the visit, date of arrival and leaving, places to visit, relationship between the applicant and the inviter, and who will bear the cost of the applicant's accommodations in China. (C) Information of the inviter: name of the unit or individual, phone number, address, and if applicable, seal and signature of the legal representative. * Generally, the invitation letter may be submitted as a fax, copy or printout. If necessary, the consular officer will ask the applicant to submit the original invitation letter, or to provide some supporting and supplementary documents, or schedule an interview.

We have reached our Goal!

10/29/2012
Woohoo! We have reached the $24,000 needed to cover the Stem Cell Treatment cost!    Thank you to everyone!  We appreciate every single donation that has been given.  There are no words to express the gratitude in our hearts for your kindness.  We pray that you may be abundantly blessed for your generosity.
Thank you,
Marcus, Audrey & Ryan Crozier

Fundraising Update

10/25/2012
Over the last week we've had some amazing donations!  THANK YOU!  Thank you!

We are at $20,020 of the $24,000 needed before October 31st for Ryan's Stem Cell Therapy.  To donate click here (disabled).

There is an amazing story of a girl named Hailey that has been for Stem Cell Therapy in China.  You can read more here. 
**This was Ryan's Halloween costume last year.  A box with a cutout for eyes and hand.

We only have until October 31

10/16/2012

We only have until October 31 to raise all of the needed funds for Ryan. If you are considering donating, this is the last month. The $24,000 payment must be made on November 1st. Please donate by mail or by Paypal. Make checks to Ryan Crozier. Our address is 5105 Edinborough Place, Sugar Hill, GA 30518.  To donate with Paypal go here. Thank you so very much! *Our anonymous donor has agreed to continue to match all donations made in October up to $8000.

Here is another video of someone who has gone for stem cell therapy: Seth was born in 2008 and was soon diagnosed with cerebral palsy (CP) and optic nerve hypoplasia (ONH)

Donation Match is Continuing through October

10/2/2012

Yay!!!  Our anonymous donor has agreed to continue to match all donations made in October. 

Please consider sharing Ryan's website with your family and friends.  www.HelpRyanSee.com (will not be available)

Thank you for all of your amazing support! 

We have our Treatment Dates Scheduled!

9/25/2012

We now have the dates to go to China!  We applied for treatment and the first date available was December 1st.  So our official treatment dates are scheduled for December 1 through December 22.  Ryan's birthday is December 8th, so we will be celebrating his 13th birthday in China.  We are continuing to work towards $24,000 needed.  We've had so many amazing and wonderful people donate to help Ryan!  Thank YOU! 

Tyler received transplants of umbilical cord blood stem cells in China. Here, several months after the therapy, he talks about the improvements he saw in his vision and his mother discusses her role as caregiver during the month abroad.

We Submitted our Registration for a Treatment Date

9/17/2012

Last week we submitted our registration information so we could be scheduled for a treatment date in the next few months.  The Registration schedule is listed below.  So far we have completed #1 and are waiting to hear back on #2.

Ryan with 5 kittens at Grandma's house

1. 1. Register for treatment. After receiving an acceptance, patients are free to register for a treatment date. You should list the approximate date, location and number of injections you wish to apply for on the online Beike Registration Form.
2. 2. Receive a confirmation. After submission of the Beike Registration Form, your representative will book you into the appropriate hospital. A confirmation email will be sent to you with the location and exact admission and discharge date. This email will also contain payment and travel information.
3. 3. Send payment. A deposit of 20% is due two weeks after the confirmation. The full amount is due no later than 30 days before the admission date.
4. 
   

People are Amazing!

9/6/2012
Wow!!! We are blown away today with donations we have received.  We are reminded daily of how kind and giving people are.  We have had some amazing success in just ONE DAY since we've just started the September "Double Your Donation."  We are getting closer to going to China!  Yay!!! 

Easter 2000. Sydney, Marc and Ryan at 4 months.

September is "Double your Donation" Month!

9/05/2012


We are so excited that an anonymous donor has agreed to match every donation made in September!!!  They will match every donation up to a total of $8000!  


That means for every dollar you give to help Ryan, this generous donor will match and double the amount.  For example: If you give $100, they will match it and it becomes $200!  


We have the possibility of raising $16,000 this month with the matching donations!!!  Wow!  We are starting the month of September with $3,470.00 raised so far. 


Thank you!  Thank you! 

Reminder: September is Donation Match Month!

9/29/2012
We started the month of September with $3,470.  We've had amazing donations this past month and so far have raised $9000 thanks to all of you!  With an anonymous donor matching all donations up to $8000, we still have the possibility of raising $16,000 this month!!!   


Please share Ryan's website and story with everyone you can on Facebook and email. Go to Ryan's website to donate (disabled).  For an email template click here (disabled).

To "Like" & share Ryan's Facebook page go to:http://www.facebook.com/HelpRyanC

In this video Lilli's mother discusses the condition causing her daughter's blindness, treatment options available to them in the US and their decision to try umbilical cord blood stem cells.

In which I ask for help on behalf of my brother...

July 2012: My little brother, Ryan, is twelve and a half years old. He is one of the sweetest kids you'll ever meet. He's always trying to connect with people, and he loves to make people laugh. He loves video games and his favorite superhero has been the Hulk ever since he found out what the Hulk was at 3 or 4. He's always got a twinkle in his eyes, whether it's out of mischief because he's trying to pull a prank on somebody, or whether it's just because he's happy to be alive.

Ryan and I have had quite the bond ever since he was born; we've got a better relationship than most siblings ever do. When he was a baby, he had acid reflux and I was one of two or three people who could get him to stop crying even though I was barely strong enough to hold him. When he was a chubby little three- or four-year-old, I'd always take him outside to play with me and my friends, or to go see his little friends (even though sometimes I didn't want to). Despite our 7 1/2 year age difference, we've been really close. I adore my little brother, and it kills me to live so far away from him; Utah to Georgia is quite the distance.

What breaks my heart even worse is that Ryan has been legally blind his entire life. He was diagnosed with optic nerve hypoplasia at 4 months old, which means his optic nerves (which transfer images to the brain) didn't fully develop. If you didn't watch him closely, you would think he is a normal kid. He can see fairly well. He loves to play a game where every time you see a yellow car, you say, "Score!" (Until he starts losing, that is. Then he doesn't want to play anymore.) I want him to be a normal kid with all my heart. I want him to be able to drive, and take girls on dates, and go out and do whatever he can dream up. If he wants to be a pilot, I want him to have the ability to do so.

For years and years, ever since Ryan's diagnosis, our family has prayed for a miracle. We've prayed for Ryan's eyes to improve so that he can see the way we can. We have prayed hard for some sort of treatment to become available for his condition. Recently our prayers have been answered! In China, Beike (bay-kuh) Biotechnology does stem cell treatments for a variety of issues, including optic nerve hypoplasia. The stem cells come strictly from umbilical cord blood. The results patients with Ryan's same problem have seen have been nothing short of miraculous. There is nothing our family wants more than to get Ryan to China and give him this chance at his very own miracle.

So, now I ask you, my readers, for help. The treatment is not covered by insurance and it isn't cheap. We need all the help we can get to get Ryan to China. Please go to the link below and donate whatever you can, and know our family will always be grateful from the bottom of our hearts. Especially me.  Thanks you! Sydney

Ryan was accepted for Stem Cell Therapy in China! Can you Help?

7/20/2017:  I previously posted that my twelve year old son, Ryan, is legally blind from a condition he was born with called Optic Nerve Hypoplasia (ONH) (read about it here).  We have prayed for years for a miracle to help restore Ryan's vision or improve it.  Recently while doing a web search on ONH, I found out they have been successfully treating it in China with non-embryonic stem cell therapy.  We were so excited that this wonderful opportunity was brought to our attention.

I contacted Beike (BAY-kuh) Biotechnology for more information about treating Optic Nerve Hypoplasia (ONH) with umbilical cord stem cells.  They very quickly replied and sent me all sorts of video testimonials, treatment protocol information and a medical form to return if we wanted to pursue this option and see if Ryan could be treated. I filled out the medical form and sent some medical records to them.  I was so excited to see this email the very next day!
------------------------------------
Dear Audrey, 
I am pleased to inform you that Ryan has been accepted for treatment by our medical department. The doctors have reviewed all of the medical information you have provided and have confirmed that we can accept Ryan for stem cell injections for his Bilateral Optic Nerve Hypoplasia based on this information. I have attached a letter about this acceptance from our International Medical Director, Dr. Kara Zhang. 

Primary Recommendation  (please note that all prices are in US dollars)  :
Number and Type of Injections: 6 umbilical cord blood stem cell (UCBSC) injections by IV and Lumbar Puncture. Retrobulbar injection is initially recommended.
Number of Days: 15 days (including admission and discharge dates)
Treatment Center(s): Guangzhou, China
Treatment Price: $18,500 USD

Secondary Recommendation: 7 or 8 injections
7 injections - $21,000 (18 days)
8 injections - $24,000 (21 days) 
Again, we are very pleased to inform you about this acceptance and hope it will bring either some sense of excitement and/or relief. Please let us know questions you have and when you are ready to register for treatment, please submit the online Treatment Registration form. 
--------------------------------------------------
We are RAISING FUNDS for Ryan so that he can have 8 injections of stem cells.   We appreciate any help you can give!  

You can also help by sharing this link in your emails: http://www.gofundme.com/ (not collecting now)

Stem Cell Therapy for Optic Nerve Hypoplasia (ONH) and other health problems

July 16, 2012: A few days ago I did a google search for Optic Nerve Hypoplasia because my son, Ryan, has Optic Nerve Hypoplasia (ONH) and is legally blind.  The doctors told us his condition was unchanging and there was nothing we could do to make it better.  We have tried to prepare him for his teenage years and the disappointment of discovering he couldn't see well enough to get a driver's license.  

I haven't done a Google search on ONH treatments/information for a few years,  Last week, I felt prompted to do quick Google search on ONH.  I was very surprised when Google pulled up a website called StemCellsChina and how they are using adult/umbilical stem cell treatment for all kinds of nerve problems including ONH.  I couldn't quit reading and watching the videos.  I was absolutely stunned that we could have an answer that could make it possible to improve Ryan's vision.

Below is a video about a girl named Macie Morse with the same diagnosis as Ryan (ONH) and her experience after receiving stem cell therapy.

Macie Morse received her first round of stem cells in 2008 to treat blindness caused by optic nerve hypoplasia. After this treatment her vision had improved to a level where she could get her driver's license. We caught up with Macie and her mother during a second round of adult stem cell treatments in 2010.Macie's story has been covered extensively by international news outlets. In 2008 a US television production crew attempted an intervention to prevent Macie from coming the first time. Macie's parents raised her without teaching her Braille or focusing much on her blindness. At 15, Macie did not know her visual abilities would keep her out of fighter-pilot school, F1 competition and all other normal driving activities. These interviews were shot while Macie and her family were staying at the hospital in Qingdao.

You can help give Ryan the gift of being able to see!

July 2012

You can help give Ryan the gift of being able to see!

Ryan is twelve and was born legally blind, but there is a treatment available for him now in China.  We need your help to raise the money to get him there! 

To donate click HERE. 

Ryan was diagnosed with Optic Nerve Hypoplasia (ONH) when he was 4 months old. ONH causes underdeveloped optic nerves with vision impairment and blindness. Ryan has low-vision and struggles with reading. He has to sit a few inches away to see the TV and computer.  Doctors said there was nothing we could do to improve Ryan's vision, but we always had hope we could find a treatment. 

Recently while researching we came across a site for umbilical stem cell treatments (non-embryonic) in China that can help with ONH. These treatments can re-grow undeveloped parts of the brain & nerves.  People are coming back with amazing improvements and MIRACLES!!!

Ryan has been accepted for stem cell treatment at Shenzhen Hospital in Guangzhou, China. The total cost for treatment is $24,000, plus travel and expenses. Insurance won’t cover any of it! We are raising funds to give Ryan an opportunity for a better way of life.  With what we have researched and heard we couldn't imagine not going. We are going to China from December 1-22 for the Stem Cell treatment.  

Ryan in China getting his Stem Cell IV

We have received many generous donations from many family, friends and strangers.  We are so blessed to have such kind people give of their hard-earned resources to help our son.  Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!  We pray you will be doubly-blessed for helping Ryan.  God bless you for your support!  

Update: We went to China December 1-22, 2013 for Ryan's stem cell treatments.  Ryan, hasn't had a change in his eyes but the doctors say we should be patient for the next 6 months.  They told us to have his vision checked in three months.

When we were in China we saw a few wonderful improvements for some other patients.  There was an 8 year old blind girl, named Rosalie, from Canada that started treatment a week before we left.  After some stem cell treatments she was seeing more light and now she can see shadows.  They put a Christmas tree in the common room and she is fascinated with the Christmas lights. She can see them, which she couldn't do before. She is also holding her head up by herself, before she always had her chin to her chest because there was no reason to hold it up. Amazing!

We also met three families with children who have cerebral palsy. There is a three year old boy from Greece that started treatments two weeks ago. His mother says since the treatments he has said 3 new words in one day. He also can grasp a lollipop, put it in his mouth and take it out again. She said he had never done any of those things before. There is another mom from the UK that brought her 2 

year old son, George, for the second time this year for treatment. She said that his physical therapists said there was definite improvement since they came last January, so they came again for more treatments.  The third family was from South Africa.  They brought their 17 year old daughter. They said they had tried everything, along with hyperbaric oxygen treatment.