Hi there. My name is Dylan Shanaberger. I'm nineteen years old, I’m a sophomore at California University of Pennsylvania, and I am legally blind. However, I haven't always been blind. When I was thirteen years old, I was diagnosed with Leber’s Hereditary Optic Neuropathy, also known as LHON. To make a long story short, I noticed initial blurriness in my right eye and put it off as needing glasses, or something that would correct itself over time. Little did I realize, over the next six months I would go from having 20/20 vision to having 20/4000 vision. It started a chapter in my life that is completely unforgettable; I had to learn how to walk again, how to talk again, and how to live again. I had to resocialize myself, change the way that I would perform almost all of my daily activities, and wage a never-ending mental war with myself in an attempt to accept the fact that I would have to live my life as a blind individual for the foreseeable future. It has been six years, and I have come a long way. I graduated high school, I'm attending college for marketing, and I will even be having a baby in July of this year.

 

What if I told you that this child could hold the key to repairing my vision? Even if just a bit?

 

The truth is that this little girl may be able to do just that, and she doesn't even realize it. 

 Within moments after Delilah is born, the umbilical cord will be collected. After that, umbilical stem cells can be drawn from the tissue and blood and stored for use in later treatments. If we are able to do this, one day when there is a potential treatment available for LHON, we will already have stem cells that match with me; which will bring us one step closer to restoring my vision. I want to thank you very much for taking the time out of your day to visit this page and listen to our story. Every contribution is greatly appreciated, and my girlfriend Donna and I will do our absolute best to keep everybody updated on our situation and how our baby is doing as time goes on. Thank you again, and whether you choose to give your gift or not, have a wonderful day.

Here is the link directly to our Cord Blood Banking Gift Registry if you would feel more comfortable donating directly to the Cord Blood Registry. Any additional funds will be donated directly to the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation (UMDF) to help further research on disorders such as LHON. 
https://www.cordblood.com/client-center/#/gr-contribute-view/1-1TDNQCH