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Blind Girl Can See Thanks to Umbilical Cord-Based Adult Stem Cell Treatment London, England (LifeNews.com) -- Born two years ago with severe eye problems, Dakota Clarke could not even see well enough to recognize her own mother and father. But now the parents of the little girl, who is registered blind, say she can make out their faces for the first time after pioneering stem cell treatment. The couple gave up work to raise well over $40,000 to fly their daughter to China for the treatment, which remains at the experimental level in Britain -- because the nation has been too preoccupied with embryonic stem cells and human cloning. They returned home this week convinced that Dakota can now see colors, lights and objects around her as a result. They hope further therapy will give her a lifetime of sight. "It's nothing short of a miracle for us," said Mr Clarke, a former engineer. "She can see the world for the first time." In Dakota's case, cells were administered intravenously through her hairline and reportedly traveled towards her optic nerve, repairing the damaged area. The stem cells came from umbilical cords donated by Chinese mothers. Despite the obvious success, some doctors are talking down the results simply because the treatments aren't approved in England. Pro-life advocates say the results are yet another showing of how adult stem cells outpace their embryonic cousins both ethically and when used in treatments.

Adult Stem Cells Used in Treating Wounded Soldiers From Iraq, Afghanistan Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Pro-life advocates have long supported the use of adult stem cells over embryonic stem cell research because no human life is destroyed in obtaining the cells. Now, new reports show wounded soldiers returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan are helped by the ethical stem cells. Showing how far adult stem cells have come in a very short time, our wounded soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan are being treated with their own stem cells to help treat wounds involving bones. According to ABC News, the Bush administration has spent $85 million to fund the Armed Forces Institute of Regenerative Medicine. Dr. Thomas Einhorn, the chairman of orthopaedic surgery at the Boston University School of Medicine and Boston Medical Center, has used adult stem cells to repair a patient's hip after conventional surgeries failed. Noted bioethics watchdog Wesley Smith says he's not surprised by the news. "Illustrating how the hype overcame reality, the story's author felt the need to say that the stem cells did not come from embryos," he said. But, as pro-life advocates know, "no human applications have yet come from human embryonic stem cells." Smith added: "It will not take much time for this procedure to become available in the civilian sector. The good news just keeps coming."