P A T I E N T  E X P E R I E N C E - B R A I N  I N J U R Y 

NAME: Travis Ashton

AGE: 18

GENDER: Male

COUNTRY: U.S.A.

DIAGNOSIS:  Severe Traumatic Brain Injury

REASON FOR COMING FOR TREATMENT: Travis was involved in a car accident seven years ago which left him in a coma. After waking, the brain damage he had suffered severely affected his ability to move. Travis has recovered many of his physical abilities, but his right arm remains immobile and he has a slight limp. He is unable to speak coherently and drools. Travis and his family hope the treatment can enable him to improve in these areas.

TREATMENT: 6 umbilical cord stem cell injections with rehabilitation therapy 

START OF TREATMENT: 14 June 2007

BEFORE THE TREATMENT:  Travis had absolutely no movement or tactile sensation in his right arm. Through inactivity, the arm looked discolored and felt cold. It could not be used to grip or manipulate objects at all, unless held and assisted by his other arm, which would tire him quickly. His speech was limited to poorly enunciated vowels, and he had little control of his mouth, resulting in involuntary drooling. Motor function in Travis' right leg was limited; he could walk but with a limp. In the early stages of physiotherapy his right leg seems very weak, requiring a lot of attention from staff to perform simple exercises. His ability to close his eyes were also affected by the brain damage he sustained. In the videos of the early stages of his physiotherapy, Travis gets frustrated with his inability to sustain activity for long periods.

AFTER THE TREATMENT: (10 July 2007) Travis' major change is in the control of his mouth. His mother comments on a "75% improvement" in control of his drooling, and notes that his swallowing has also improved. Travis has now regained voluntarily control of his eyelids, which is a huge development. In addition to these improvements, Travis' right arm has reverted to a more natural color and temperature, which indicates an increase in motor-neurone activity and is a very promising sign for revitalization in the future.

See Videos:

Before Treatment 

• Travis' Pre-Treatment Interview
• Travis' Pre-Treatment Physiotherapy Video 1
• Travis' Pre-Treatment Physiotherapy Video 2
• Travis' Pre-Treatment Physiotherapy Video 3

• Travis' Mid-Treatment Physiotherapy Video 1
• Travis' Mother Speaking About Improvements Video 1
• Travis' Mother Speaking About Improvements Video 2
• Travis' Post-Treatment Interview

Hello everyone I APOLOGIZE for not updating sooner.  We appreciate the love prayers and concern of so many, I know many of you check regularly to check on Travis.  We have been trying to squeeze the whole summer into the last 4 weeks.  We have been on a familly vacation, a family reunion, a triathlon,  and playing as much as possible.  We missed our family so much while we were gone and have tried to devote the last little bit to spending time together and getting ready for school to start.  We have also been taking care of our 8 puppies that our yellow lab had the night before we arrived home from China.

Travis is doing very well and is really motivated to continue his therapy and move forward in life.  He has been spending quite a bit of time at his Grandma and Grandpa Blankenship’s and with his Uncles.  He has been golfing quite a bit and X-Rail and 4-wheel riding up in the canyons.  As a matter of fact he can drive the X-rails by himself and they are very safe he loves them!!  He has actually been offered a job by Motormax International that manufactures the ATV’s.  He will be starting  tomorrow.  He will work in their retail store and help with the production and the store front, he is pretty excited about that.  It is amazing, several months ago we did not know what Travis was going to do after graduation.  We prayed that we would be guided and that he would be able to progress and be productive.  We didn’t know what would be best for him.  His school really wanted him to go to a work program called ATEC that is for mentally and physically handicapped young adults.  We felt very strongly that was not the route for him, but we did not know WHAT the route was.  We have tried to have faith, and  so many have been praying for Travis.  It seems things have just opened up for him and we have been guided one step at a time.  Your prayers really have made a difference in our life.  Thank you.

The first week in September he will begin a very intense  therapy program called “Now I Can.”  It will be 4 hours a day and five days a week for one month.  He will go from 8 am to 12 noon and then he will work in the afternoons.  He will be pretty busy.

We have seen improvements in his eyesight over the last few weeks and he continues to have more oral control in his face.

Thanks to the Deseret News and Daily Herald for the recent articles they have done on Travis, we appreciate them.

I promise to continue to update and keep everyone posted.  It has taken a while to get back in the swing of things, and I don't think I ever really am caught up!  I guess that’s  how it goes when you have 5 kids and 9 dogs!!

~Missy Ashton