Still, the approval for EB marked a milestone in Eisenberg's 30-year odyssey. But the joy for him was muted: Ari was seriously ill.
Despite frequent operations, Ari had achieved a semblance of a normal life. After working for Ortec as a computer programmer while earning a college degree, he took a job for the Australian operations of Toshiba. He moved out of his parents' home into an apartment with his brother. Ari, who as a baby couldn't crawl without the skin coming off his knees, even took up skiing.
But when he was 25, Ari's kidneys failed, possibly as a result of his disease, and his health deteriorated. He died in April, two months after the FDA approved his father's artificial skin for use on his disease.
"It's almost like his life's mission was done," Katz said.
Eisenberg said he wanted to continue working with Ortec, to see that the skin is widely used. That, he said, would be "a fitting memorial" for his son.
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