Multiple Sclerosis Patient Helped By His Own Adult Stem Cells

George Trajkovski, a multiple sclerosis patient who received his own adult stem cells is dancing again thanks to the benefits received from the treatment.  George started out seeking therapy by contacting the Repair Stem Cell Institute who put him in contact with Dr. Fernandez Vina, a member of the Repair Stem Cell Institute and I'll let George's wife take it from here:

Spinal Cord Injury Helped By Adult Stem Cells

A Mississippi teen with a spinal cord injury has improved his quality of life after receiving treatment with his own stem cells. The young man went to Germany to receive stem cell treatment at the Xcell Center, an adult stem cell therapy company. 

Justin McCray, a junior in high school will be able to attend school again for the first time since an accident injured his spinal cord and left him paralyzed thanks to benefits received after the therapy. 



From the stem cell news story:

McCray, a junior at North Forrest High School, still needs a wheelchair to get around. But he is now strong enough to move a non-mechanized chair himself and can move himself from his wheelchair.

"He has definitely made tremendous progress," physical therapist Jennifer Stewart said. "He has made so many gains in so many areas."

"We're still hopeful that he'll get up and be able to walk," said Marche' Maye, Justin's mother. "He has gotten so much back, just since we came back from Germany. "He's starting to feel things below his waist." "We can't imagine what that's like," Stewart said. "All of his goals relating to therapy are pointed toward gaining as much independence as possible. "The more independent we can make him, the better it is for him."

More On The Simple Stem Cell Procedure

McCray said the stem-cell procedure, in which stem cells are processed from the patient's bone marrow then reinjected, was not as invasive as it might sound. "They went up in my lower back and took the stem cells out, then injected me in my hip," he said. "It left me with a bad headache for about a day. But other than that, it wasn't too bad."

60% Success Rate - Not Too Shabby FOR SPiNal Cord Injuries

The procedure was done at the XCell-Center in Dusseldorf, Germany. The clinic claims about a 60 percent success rate in patients with spinal-cord injuries. McCray has regained significant movement and feeling from his waist up, and is starting to regain some feeling in his feet. More important, he is now able to stand up in leg braces and can walk a few steps with assistance.

Germany 60% Success Rate, United States 0%

Notice that nobody is promising a cure and a miracle.  In fact, the Xcell Center is not even promising improvement. 
Using the 60% success rate, it is easy for all to see that they have a 40% "unsuccessful" rate.  While the Xcell Center offers 60%, the United States offers a 0% success rate and a 100% "unsuccessful" rate as they offer nothing.  Thus, it is not surprising that spinal cord injury patients (and other patients) are flocking to Germany and other overseas clinics when the United States and all of their wonderful research and development has nothing to offer these people. 

Is it that the United States doesn't have the technology?  No, the technology is surprisingly simple and has been available for over 20 years.  Is it that the United States doesn't have the knowledge on the adult stem cell procedure?  No, for Justin McCray, it was as simple a procedure as a spinal tap.    Is it dangerous?  No, the treatment uses the patient's own stem cells, their own repair system.

Then why can't this stem cell treatment be done in the United States???  Millions of patients want to know.  I want to know. 

Other Stem Cell Success Stories

The Xcell Center also has had some success treating children with cerebral palsy. Also, see more patients with spinal cord injuries helped by their own adult stem cells.

Cerebral Palsy Helped By Adult Stem Cell Therapy

Another child with cerebral palsy has been helped by their own adult stem cells at the Xcell Center in Dusseldorf, Germany.  Sophia Chang, a 3 1/2 year old girl  is the latest in a long list of children who have traveled to Germany for the stem cell treatment and returned home with improvements in their cerebral palsy symptoms. 

In an open letter, the Chang family describes the stem cell procedure and how simple it is, and more importantly, how much it  has helped their daughter Sophia. 

Before The Adult Stem Cells Were Implanted

1. No protective reaction when falling, would have to wear a helmet as Sophia would fall on her head
2. Couldn't chew food, could only drink liquids and very soft food
3. Had difficulty walking, had to wear orthotics for her feet
4. No words and limited sounds

The Stem Cell Therapy Procedure Described

From the stem cell success story: 

The procedure was very simple. Sophia went in for the first part, handled the anesthesia just fine and the procedure itself of extracting the bone marrow took no more than 30 minutes. She woke up within an hour and she was just fine. We went back to the hotel and she did not exhibit any adverse effects or pain. After a few days, we went back to the center and had the second part of the treatment-they put her under and injected the stem cells into her spinal fluid which also took no more than 15 minutes or so. She woke up again within an hour and we went back to hotel. She was totally fine and back to her normal happy self by that evening.

Results of the Treatment

1. Developed a protective reaction to falling within a few weeks after treatment
2. Was able to chew food and developed more interest in foods
3. Not only walking, but running too!
4. Improvements in speech

Stem Cell Research Results for Cerebral Palsy Presented

In September 2009, the Xcell Center presented some of their research results of their cerebral palsy treatment. Click for the stem cell research results. We have also covered other cerebral palsy patients who have received positive benefits from this stem cell treatment. CP patients like Harvey Telford from England and Sierra Hill from Australia have also improved after the therapy and are planning to go a 2nd time. 

  

"Protecting" Patients From A Better Quality of Life

It is interesting to note that so many doctors in the United States say that these treatments are scams.  However, why do we see so many families want to take their children abroad a second time for more adult stem cell therapy?  Do they wish to be scammed a second time???  I don't think so. There is something good happening.

It is sad that families from the UK, USA, and Australia, all western countries with top level research facilities are unwilling to put the research into therapy.  They do this by using the mainstream media to moan about "unproven treatments" and "protecting the patients".   In reality, they are protecting the drug companies which can't make money off of your own repair system-- your own adult stem cells. 

And in the end the only thing they are accomplishing is "protecting" patients from a better quality of life.

Stem Cell Research Helps Patients With Critical Limb Ischemia

A stem cell research study in South Carolina is saving legs of patients with critical limb ischemia caused by peripheral artery disease (PAD).  Cathy Ballzigler was the latest PAD patient to have her leg saved by the power of adult stem cells in a trial at Roper Hospital.   She had critical limb ischemia, a condition in which no blood was going to her leg.  Her doctor wanted to amputate. 

From the stem cells success story:

"He really wanted to take my leg off, but I would beg and plead and say don't take it off, just do what you can," said Cathy.

"He told my husband that I was about 11 weeks from dying," she said.

Cathy was losing feeling in her leg. It's called critical limb ischemia. The arteries in her leg were blocked. Surgery didn't help.  Amputation was the next step.

"I went from 17 percent oxygen to over 66 percent oxygen after my surgery," said Cathy.

The stem cell treatment costs less than conventional limb-saving procedures like bypass surgery and stents.

Stem Cell Research Video On Critical Limb Ischemia

When Will The Stem Cell Study Finish?

We previously featured this stem cell research study in an April 2009 post.  In that stem cell success story, we featured Tom Fishcher, another peripheral artery disease patient who was suffering from critical limb ischemia as well.  The stem cells saved Tom from amputation and healed his leg. 

In that post I noted that in this particular procedure:

1. the stem cell treatment is cheaper than other alternatives (angioplasty or bypass) for Peripheral Artery Disease,


2. the therapy is safer and less invasive (just simple injections using a syringe of stem cells into the legs),


3. it has no side effects because it uses your own Adult Stem Cells,


4. and is probably 60-70% more effective than any other intervention--- but it won't be available for at least 4 more years (and that is being very optimistic).

Nothing to see here says the FDA -  The FDA is not interested in patients helped using their own stem cells. 

Stem Cell Therapy Helping Patients In India

A government run hospital in Mumbai, India is helping patients improve their quality of life through stem cell therapy using adult stem cells.   Sion Hospital in Mumbai is helping patients with diseases and conditions such as spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy and motor neuron disease. 

From the stem cell success story :

Ankur Nath, 23, a muscular dystrophy patient was eating pizza for the first time in 9 years thanks to the stem cells taken from his bone marrow at Sion Hospital.  In fact, before the stem cell treatment 4 months ago, for the last 9 years, Ankur was unable to savor any meal due to the complications of his muscular dystrophy. 

A Better Quality of Life? Who Wouldn't Want That?

Skeptics of adult stem cell research say that  stem cells will probably not cure Ankur's muscular dystrophy.  They are probably right, the stem cells at this time will not cure Ankur.    However, the adult stem cells can slow the progression of the muscular dystrophy and give him a better quality of life.  Who wouldn't want that?  I can only imagine the joy he felt in eating that pizza. 


The other patient featured is Dr. Hemangi Sane, 34, a doctor who formerly practiced in New York and  is suffering from motor neuron disease , the same disease that Stephen Hawking has. 

Dr. Sane says :

“My shoulders are no longer droopy. I can speak clearly and for hours at a stretch. I can walk without swaying,’’ the 34-year-old listed. Until August (before the stem cell therapy), she spoke mostly in whispers and, while walking with assistance, could only register the designs on the floor. “Now, I can hold my neck up and watch all the beautiful colours,’’ she added.

India More Advanced Than USA In Stem Cell Research

This is wonderful what they are doing at Sion Hospital.  And it is a shame that the United States does not have similar hospitals- hospitals that use stem cell therapy to give patients like Ankur and Dr. Sane a better quality of life. Make no mistake, this isn't voodoo, these doctors are simply putting a person's own repair stem cells into the damaged area that is affecting them.  If you have never been through stem cell therapy or have never witnessed it, you would be shocked at how amazingly simple it is.  And you would be similarly shocked that it isn't available to patients in the United States.  As I continue to repeat- not treating these patients with something (their own adult stem cells) that can help them (with no negative effects) is allowing them to suffer and die. 

More from Sion Hospital in Mumbai, India:

The first patient whom Sion Hospital treated, Ravindra Ahire, who met with a bike accident in April 2007 and sustained severe spinal cord injuries, is, in fact, walking with a stick. “We have treated 76 patients with various diseases so far and most are doing much better than what they were doing before the therapy,’’ said Dr Sharma, who began the stem cell treatment after years of conducting laboratory studies.

“Muscular atrophy and motor neuron disease can bring about a complete change in the patient’s life. By offering them stem cell therapy, we have managed to brighten their lives to an extent. They are more independent than before,’’ said Dr Sandhya Kamat, dean of Sion Hospital.

In fact, Dr Sharma feels that Ankur’s recovery “after stem cell therapy is nothing short of miraculous’’. For one, Ankur was the first patient on a ventilator to be treated by the Sion team.

No harm in treatment from adult stem cells-- only potential upside.