When 'Good Morning America' co-anchor Robin Roberts made a surprise visit to Sanford Health in Sioux Falls last month, there was a cloud of secrecy surrounding the focus of her feature for the ABC News morning show.

This week, all was revealed.

Roberts was in town to profile the Burtwistles, a Colorado family whose seven-year old daughter, Olivia is battling juvenile Batten disease, a rare genetic illness that affects children and destroys brain cells, causing neurological disorders like blindness, seizures, dementia and ultimately premature death.

The GMA story includes a mention of Sanford Children's Hospital, and an inside look at the Sanford Research Center, which is currently working with adult stem cell therapy, in the hopes of ultimately helping patients like Olivia.

Representatives of Sanford Health are in the Vatican this week, presenting at the Third International Conference on the Progress of Regenerative Medicine and Its Cultural Impact.


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