Let us tell you about our son, Lane Preston Yochum, and the fight he is in for.

On March 3, 2010, in San Antonio, Texas, Lane entered our world. It was a proud day for us. He was born in a “quick” ten hours, weighing in at 8lbs, 4oz. He quickly won the hearts of everyone he was around, especially his big sister Mackenzie.

When Lane was a few months old we noticed that he didn’t really look at us and didn’t track anything that went in front of his eyes. Concerned, we scheduled an appointment with a pediatric ophthalmologist. The doctor was able to make a diagnosis, though terrible:  Lane has Septo-Optic Dysplasia (SOD), Optic-Nerve Hypoplasia (ONH) and Nystagmus. These were just words compared to the reality that followed them. Lane is blind and his condition has no treatment and no cure. His optic nerves and areas in his brain never fully developed before he was born and a thin lining in his brain (septum pullicidum) is missing along with some brain abnormalities that would hinder his development and possibly hormones and growth in life. Lane has no light perception in either eye and cannot track or follow.

The news was crushing. All the light had been taken out of our young son’s life before he was even born. Of all the challenges in life our son could face, blindness and brain abnormalities was one that we had never thought of.

It is often in dark times however that hope reveals itself. After talking with parents of children with SOD and conducting extensive research, we discovered a new treatment being undertaken by Beike Biotech. Right now, the only treatment option we have for our son, is in China and the treatment is having overwhelming results with people afflicted with SOD and other incurable diseases. Thanks to our local community, family and friends, we have been lucky enough to have taken Lane once this year to China for treatment and we are so blessed to have seen him grow and develop so much before our eyes. He has progressed by leaps and bounds since returning home in September. There is nothing else that we can do for Lane except try and try to get him back. Researchers have told us that the more treatment Lane receives the better chance he has for vision and it could only help grow his underdeveloped areas in his brain. It is Lane’s best chance at sight and one that we are determined to give him. Our only hope to give our son a better life, lies in this treatment option. Please, we need your help to get Lane back for treatment. It is our only hope.

The treatments are in Qingdao, China, and the cost is $35,000+ for treatment, airfare and food. While doing everything in our power to give Lane this opportunity again we would also appreciate and welcome any donations that you can make to aid in Lane’s fight for sight. It will only be through the help and love of others that Lane will have his chance to see every beautiful thing that we all take for granted.

We thank you for your time, love and generosity.

Tim and Lauren Yochum

For more information on Lanes condition, treatment in China and to watch a few video testimonials of patients with ONH/SOD who have had the treatment, please click on the links to the right. You can also scroll through the blog we wrote while in China this past year. Thank you again for your intreset in helping our sweet son, Lane.