Doctors Call Boy's Recovery From Blindness a Miracle
Categories: Kids 8-11, Medical Conditions, In The News, Weird But True, Special Needs, Amazing Kids
Gene therapy helped a 9-year-old boy recover from a disease that stole his sight away, and doctors are calling the results of his treatment "near biblical." Credit: NBC Philadelphia.
Corey Hass was born with Leber's Congenital Amaurosis and the disease ravaged the 4th-grader's sight to the point that he was left completely blind a little more than a year ago, according to NBC Philadelphia.Today, Corey can see his favorite color -- red -- and the rest of the world, too, thanks to an experimental genetic treatment administered by doctors at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and Penn Medicine. Healthy genes were injected into the boy's weakest eye, and that single injection restored the missing protein in Corey's retina.
Before the treatment, it took Corey four minutes to complete an obstacle course created by his medical team. After the injection he was able to complete the course in just seconds. Dr. Catherine High, a researcher involved in Corey's treatment, called the results "almost biblical."
"I've never seen anything so amazing in the whole span of my career," High told the station. While doctors can't say whether or not the treatment is a cure, Corey's parents are stunned at the results thus far.
"He would stare at the sun and it wouldn't effect his vision," Nancy Hass, Corey's mother, told NBC. "So when he said the sun is really bright, I said 'Wow!'"
A month later, the boy was able to read ten lines of text, play with his pals and ride his bike -- all by himself. And this New Yorker, grateful for his Pennsylvania-based treatment, says he's now rooting for the Phillies in the World Series.
Corey is one of 12 patients taking part in the study, and the other participants also saw their vision improve.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Lee 10-29-2009 @ 6:27AM
How absolutely wonderful!
Reply
Lizard 10-29-2009 @ 3:17PM
What an oddly written story. He was "completely blind" but had a weaker eye? Blind but could still do an obstacle course in four minutes? Can now read and ride a bike when only one month ago he was "blind"? I think there will be a follow up story shortly stating that the treatment had failed.
Kassy 10-29-2009 @ 9:11PM
Yes i agree that this is a miracle. We take sight and all our abilities for granted. He was deemed blind and scientists found a way for him to see again. That IS a miracle. For anyone out there who finds this wrong and is just going to preach about god and how god gave him sight. Just because thats your religion it does not mean its someone elses religion. I absolutely positively hate the fact that people are on here saying they dont credit the scientists what so ever and only credit god. The scientists who developed this potential cure worked hard to do so. Yeah as you may say they were created by god but not everyone believes in god. On top of that i personally consider this an amazing feat the scientists may have just found a cure for blindness and could potentially be used to gain many peoples eye sight back. And your gonna say that that is not a miracle. What disgusts me is your so ignorant and arrogant to believe that its no big deal that a little boy gained his eyesight back after suffering from a diseases that caused him to be blind. I'm sorry that im happy for him and that i believe i should be happy for him and that others should be happy for him. And im sorry that i was raised to not take what i have for granted on a daily basis so have a nice day.
Julian 10-29-2009 @ 8:41AM
While this is fantastic news for a child who has been given the right to sight (something I know we all take for granted), to call it a miracle is as demeaning as it is fundamentally wrong. If it were truly a "miracle," then all the hard work and effort put forth by doctors and scientists to push for gene therapy and to actually accomplish an amazing feat would be absolutely meaningless and unnecessary, because a spiritual force would have already done the job. There's this sort of spiritualist phenomenon that attempts to attach itself to legitimate scientific concerns as if it has an equal place in it. It does not, it should not and is an affront to any breakthrough for science and medicine. To continue the growth of ignorance by claiming this a "miracle" is a shame, as it will only fuel the fire of those who are willing to remain ignorant and zealous.
Reply
Patricia 10-29-2009 @ 9:49AM
Hi Julian,
It was the doctors and staff that called it "near biblical" to dramatize the real recovery this young man received by modern science. The blogger titled it a miracle.
Sight is not a right where you get that I do not know? Some consider it a gift. What it is, is a needed physical function for a fully successful life. He took four minutes when blind to progress through the obstacle course, seconds once he had sight. I mean no disrespect for successful blind beings, they work very hard to overcome and I appreciate it.
I do understand your fear of spiritual attachment to this or other "near biblical" happenings. However, there are religious people in this world including doctors, nurses, and other hospital staffers. Maybe the family themselves were religious, hence the term "near biblical."
I am sure that whoever used the term, had known it was going to make you or others blow a gasket another term might have been used.
Another point of view, is they used the term to get at those bible thumpers that insist on a medieval lifestyle for everyone, except for medicine. Chill out don't be like those barking dogs only for science instead.
leah 10-29-2009 @ 10:03AM
Do you seriously believe that the scientist did this "miracle" all by themselves? They were guided by God.....Who do you think created their brains to be able to do this .... I thank God for this little boy's sight...and I am grateful to the doctors for this "miracle"
Julian 10-29-2009 @ 10:57AM
Patricia,
Thanks for your response. I used the term "right to sight" just because I thought it was catchy, though admittedly it might have been unwise of me to do so. I know that there isn't a "right" to being able to see, as, of course, it is an expected aspect of life.
Now, I believe I was clear in the implication that I am well aware that the same doctors who performed the gene therapy used the term, "miracle." My point is simple: that's misguided and unfortunate.
Even if spiritual/religious people accept science more because the same scientists and doctors label breakthrough, "miracles," it does nothing but perpetuate that science, on its own, is ineffective and not to be trusted. Many who rely heavily on what science has given them (i.e. computers, cars, television, air conditioning, centralized heating, etc) have a large distrust of science and the scientific community. Thus, spiritualist and religious answers look more appealing, and when they are attached to scientific and medical breakthroughs, it just encourages that distrust. "Only through GOD could they perform this!" or "GOD must have been involved in one way or another!" It's silly but it's also dangerous. It encourages laziness and ignorance.
I'll make no mystery of my disdain for religious/spiritualist beliefs, especially those that purport to be able to cure ailments or know the true answers to life (without the need for evidence), but it's not about my personal belief system; it's about the progress of science and medicine that is often stilted by these inane comments and beliefs. Besides, they only pick the good out of the bad for their "proof," despite the fact that there are probably more negative results in the constant search for scientific perfection than there are good. "He works in mysterious ways," is not a viable answer, by the way, because it offers no insight.
Anyway, I don't mean to sound like I'm "up in arms," but I feel these doctors and scientists that use words like "miracle" or terms like "near biblical" are doing themselves and science, as a whole, an extreme disservice. It's both dangerous and unaware of its true results.
lnz7t8 10-29-2009 @ 12:37PM
Julian, I am actually blown away by your little rant over one word. Using it as an outlet to show your distain for any form of religion puts you in the same category as those who believe thier religion is better than everyone elses. Just a few quick facts. Miracle comes from the Late Latin word miraculum, which means a wonder or marvel. The Webster Dictionary lists the definition of miracle as "an extremely outstanding or unusual event, thing, or accomplishment" so unless you believe that a boy regaining his sight is less than amazing I feel sorry for you. To call it demeaning and fundamentally wrong is absurd. The work performed by the scientists and doctors was an extremely outstanding accomplishment, therefore by definition a miracle. Relax, be happy for the child and get over the fact that this is a miracle even in the most non-religious sense.
Glorious 10-29-2009 @ 1:17PM
I see a very disturbing idea gaining prominence in the world today, and that is that Science and God can have nothing to do with the other?? Science is a Believer's best friend. Science quietly screams Intelligent Design, a loving Creator. These breakthroughs and better treatments, medicines, etc. are divinely inspired. God is in the hospitals and medicines and labs. Without Him, doctors and scientists could no nothing. This sinister "worship" of intellect is so strange, since one blow to the head, one aneurysm, lack of oxygen, etc. and that intellect is GONE.
Do you have an illness of some sort? Ask God to heal you and then go to the doctor! Sometimes we get that instant miraculous Oh! healing. Then we get healing through medical technology. The Ultimate Healing is when we go to be with Him. It's ALL GOOD!!
Julian 10-29-2009 @ 2:24PM
In7t8,
I would just like to point out that you conveniently left out the definition that implicates a supernatural force behind what would be considered, "a surprising and welcome event."
Though miracle also has the definition you used, I'm near positive that they also mean to imply some sort of divine intervention. And if they don't, well, that's what a lot of people will take from it, anyway (read the other comments and you'll see).
That may not matter to you, but to me, it matters a great deal. I don't believe science and religious/spiritual beliefs are compatible. It's ridiculous to assert anything of the kind when they are at complete odds with each other. While science attempts to answer the same questions that religious/spiritualism pretends to already know, it doesn't jump to fantastic explanations to answer them. In other words, science searches for the simplest answers that have a footing in reality, whereas religion and spiritualism will jump to a far-fetched conclusion and consider the matter closed. That is unscientific and works against the whole reason and purpose of science.
Lastly, even though your attempt at belittling my comment by calling it a "little rant," and twisting my previous post to make it seem that I don't consider this an extraordinary event (I do, thanks to breakthroughs in gene therapy), I just want to make it clear that, even though I am upset at the use of the word "miracle," I don't consider myself "right," I consider myself far more reasonable than those who consider this "of the divine." There's a difference between unrelenting dogma coupled with blind faith and logical assertions.
Oh, and the fact that those doctors called it "almost biblical" negates the idea that they may have meant the world "miracle" as just an amazing event without any divine implications.
That's all.
Cathy 10-29-2009 @ 7:07PM
whos to say whom GOD chooses as Angels here on Earth to perform his "miracles" ?
Julian 10-29-2009 @ 8:42AM
While this is fantastic news for a child who has been given the right
to sight (something I know we all take for granted), to call it a
miracle is as demeaning as it is fundamentally wrong. If it were
truly a "miracle," then all the hard work and effort put forth by
doctors and scientists to push for gene therapy and to actually
accomplish an amazing feat would be absolutely meaningless and
unnecessary, because a spiritual force would have already done the
job. There's this sort of spiritualist phenomenon that attempts to
attach itself to legitimate scientific concerns as if it has an equal
place in it. It does not, it should not and is an affront to any
breakthrough for science and medicine. To continue the growth of
ignorance by claiming this a "miracle" is a shame, as it will only
fuel the fire of those who are willing to remain ignorant and
zealous.
Reply
Diana 10-29-2009 @ 9:46AM
I believe miracles are often performed through human beings.
Reply
Science is a miracle 10-29-2009 @ 9:26AM
Just because scientists and doctors have been given by G-d the knowledge to cure people (sometimnes) makes it no less of a miracle.
G-d often works THROUGH people, not in spite of them.
If it was all due ONLY to the doctors then EVERY cure would work all the time.
It is up to G-d whether a particular treatment will or will not work and how well for how long.
How about all the times doctors gave someone only a few weeks to live and said there was absolutely no hope and then a miracle happened and the "patient" is still jher many years later.
How about in business, all the times two people follow the eaxct same success formula and one succeeds and the other does not and no one can point out anything done different by one vs the what the other one did.
G-d runs the world and HE decides what and who will succeed and how well and for how long.
Reply
Tim 10-29-2009 @ 10:35AM
There are no miracles to be found here. This boy recovered his sight due to scientific rigor. End of story. True believers see god everywhere. Everything and anything to them is a miracle. Funny how an all powerfull god took such a circuitous and labor intensive route to exact his miracle,eh?
If he indeed worked a miracle, why obscure his role by involving thousands of scientists who in one way or another contributed to this boys healing? Not how I would have done it.
Reply
lou 10-29-2009 @ 12:16PM
Tim,
God ways are not human's ways and His thoughts are higher than human's thoughts for as far as the east is from the west so is God's ways and thoughts are from that of human. YOU ARE NOT GOD SO YOU WILL OF COURSE DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY FROM HIM.
Penelope 10-29-2009 @ 2:18PM
Your disdain for God shows by how you write his name. You don't want to even give him the right to have his name capitalized. No matter, he loves you anyway.
Carla 10-29-2009 @ 10:49AM
Yes, miracles in the bible were often led by human beings. Aaron turned a stick into a snake and parted the Red Sea(all with the help of God ) Elijah brought a child from the dead, In Matthew 10:1, we're told that Jesus “called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil[a] spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.” So yes, God gives some the gift to perform miracles.
Reply
Roller 10-29-2009 @ 11:38AM
Let's focus on these stories and ignore all the brutalities that are happening in the world. Let's them be punished by alianation for them to know they are not funny or cool.
We need a better world where hopes and love prevail. It's not sissy or cheesy as many people try to make them appear, but it's something essential in our lives.
Reply
ckyoursmile 10-29-2009 @ 11:53AM
I am so happy for this little boy. Now he can grow up and see his wife's face one day and his children. He can be whatever he wants to be. Wheather it is a miricle or not it is fantastic.
I wish doctor's would inject some gene cells into my daughters pancreas so her diabetes would be cured.
Reply