UF officials were presented with an oversized check for $1 million Thursday in hopes that a cure will be found for a disease that causes blindness.
Robert and Debbie Forbis, owners of one of the state's largest electrical contractors, were given a small plaque in exchange for their donation at a ceremony held in the Founder's Gallery of the Stetson Medical Sciences Building at UF's Health Science Center.
The donation will go to the College of Medicine's department of ophthalmology to establish a research fund for optic nerve hypoplasia, a disease impairing the vision of the couple's 11-month-old grandson, Taylor.
Several top-ranking state and UF officials were on hand to speak about the donation, including Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp, UF President Bernie Machen, Dr. Bruce Kone, former dean of the College of Medicine, and Dr. Shalesh Kaushal, assistant professor of ophthalmology and director of vitreoretinal services.
Kaushal said he hopes the gift will allow UF to further its research into possible sight-restoring treatments of optic nerve hypoplasia with umbilical cord stem cells, a treatment used in other countries but not yet approved in the U.S.
Optic nerve hypoplasia is a disease in which the nerve that transmits signals from the eye to the brain does not develop properly.
Forbis said it is a leading cause of blindness in children.
Despite possible progress seen in other countries using stem cell research, he said there is no research on stem cell cures for the disease in the U.S.
Forbis said he chose UF to receive the donation on former Gov. Jeb Bush's recommendation. He added that some adult stem cell research was already in progress at UF.
Forbis is focused on stem cell research as the solution because of the success his father experienced after receiving stem cell treatments in Thailand for his heart condition.
He said he was also encouraged by the story of a 6-year-old girl whose sight was restored after receiving stem cell treatments in China.
The source of the girl's recovery is a matter of contention among American ophthalmologists, but he thinks the possibility of a cure warrants further research.
Forbis said he hopes his donation will find a cure for all children in the U.S. who "live in darkness" and cannot travel outside of the country for treatment.
Kottkamp described the gift as an amazing gesture and asked those present to consider the Forbis family's battle and generosity in bringing a cure for the disease to the U.S.
"How much would you pay for the gift of sight, especially for your child?" he said.
"It is a priceless gift."
