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Tuesday, 25 April 2006 |
Source: News Canada
By BRIAN GRAY, TORONTO SUN
Two Port Perry sisters would love to be able to cross their fingers over an upcoming experimental surgery in a Beijing hospital.
And that's why they're willing to take the risk.
"We're both nervous and excited about the surgery," Shannon Deering said yesterday.
'WILLING TO TRY'
"We can't really take any more steps backwards, so it's something we're willing to try in the hopes of giving us even a little more movement."
Shannon, 20, and her sister Erica, 17, were paralyzed in an August 2004 car crash and they've spent every moment since trying to improve their mobility and get closer to the normal life they've been told is no longer a possibility.
"We've gotten back to a level that our doctors said we couldn't expect at the time of the accident," said Erica.
In December, Dr. Hongyun Huang will place nasal cells from aborted fetuses into the damaged areas of their spinal cords. The hope is the cells will regenerate and increase the sisters' mobility.
Their father, Tony Deering, said he found out about the doctor through the Christopher Reeve Foundation. The late actor suffered a spinal cord injury and spent the rest of his life urging research and vowing to walk again.
The family is also waiting to hear from a Saskatchewan man who underwent the same surgery.
"If the girls are willing to take the chance, then I'm willing to do anything to take whatever chance I have to to help them get movement back in their hands and fingers," said Tony.
He's organized a fund-raising concert to help defray some of the estimated $120,000 cost for the surgery. Because of its experimental status, none of the cost will be covered by health care plans or insurance.
"We're going in December, even if I have to borrow the money," Tony said. "I'm hoping we can cover some of that money through the concert and other fundraisers."
For their part, Shannon and Erica are confident they are on the right path.
'A GREAT FEELING'
"Unless people are in our position, they don't know how it feels," said Erica. "Regaining some feeling, some use of our hands, would be a great feeling."
Shannon agrees and said the benefits far outweigh the risks. "Any improvement is better than nothing," she said.
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 29 June 2006 )
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