NAME: Audrey Jones - The Former Lord Mayor of Manchester

AGE: 75

COUNTRY: Great Britain

DIAGNOSIS: Progressive idiopathic cerebella syndrome with atrophy

REASON FOR COMING TO TREATMENT: At the age of 75 Audrey Jones has had a full life that has included many successful undertakings including the partial ownership of one of Manchester’s leading newspapers, authoring a book detailing the experiences of children during World War Two and working as a governmental representative in her home city of Manchester for nearly 30 years. Her hard work and dedication accumulated in her appointment by The Queen of England to the post Lord Mayor of Manchester in 2003. It was during her term as Lord Mayor that Audrey began to realize that something was “not quite right” with her balance and ability to walk. The formerly energetic woman had always lead an extremely active life both at home and in her work as well as in the community was becoming easily tired and having increasing difficulty walking. Though she resolutely continued on with her duties as Lord Mayor, she required much assistance from her two now constant attendants in order to do everyday things, maintain her work load and to simply walk up stairs. It was during her term as Lord Mayor that she was officially diagnosed by a renowned specialist in England with Cerebellar Atrophy who conveyed to her that her symptoms would only continue to worsen through time with the progression of this disorder to being confined to a wheel chair and ultimately end in her death. The specialist also informed Audrey that there were no treatments options available to her.  He said to her that her “only hope would be stem cell research but that it would not be available during her life time”. This of course left her in a void of depression and sadness.  Not willing to give up so easily her daughter began to research her mother’s condition looking for any viable treatments that might be available outside of England.

Eventually she found what she was looking for in a news story about a man in Scotland with a similar condition, who had gone for stem cell treatments in China. Once getting in contact with him to confirm his improvements, Audrey and her family “seized the opportunity” and plans for her and her husband to travel to China were immediately set in motion.  

TREATMENT: Umbilical Cord Stem Cell Transplants, Cord Serum and Nerve Growth Factor combined with Acupuncture and Rehabilitation Therapy.

TREATMENT BEGAN: January 10th, 2008

LOCATION: Beike’s facility at Qingdao Hospital

BEFORE THE TREATMENT: In the months before Audrey came for treatment, her condition was continuing to get progressively worse. Her gait had become more ataxic and less stable. She walked with a wider stance than a normal person in what is referred to by some as a “penguin walk” with her feet far apart and her toes pointed outwards in addition she had problems controlling her balance. She was completely unable to walk up stairs without great assistance. The only place she was able walk on her own was in her own home and even that had become close to impossible for her. At work in the town hall she was forced to use a wheelchair. Overall she was very fatigued having less and less energy as the weeks went by.

AFTER THE TREATMENT: Throughout the course of her treatment, Audrey experienced continued improvements in her symptoms. One of the first things she noticed after just two stem cell treatments was that she was again able to climb stairs without help from another person. As the treatment course progressed, her walking and coordination improved. She was also able to walk with a more normal gait; her feet closer together and toes pointed forward again.  In addition she was able to keep walking without becoming quickly fatigued for increasing periods of time. For instance, prior to treatment even walking across a room was difficult but as she progressed through her treatment course she began talking short walks outside the hospital with her husband.

In the beginning it was just 5 to 10 minutes at a time.  By week three she had worked up to taking 20 minute walks outside each day.  For safety she continued to bring along a wheelchair but found that she no longer needed to sit in it but instead she would just push it and use it to stabilize herself towards the end of her walk when she might find herself beginning to tire.  By week four Audrey and her husband enjoyed daily walks around the Qingdao area for up to 30 minutes at a time.

Interviews with Audrey while she was in China:
Introducing herself
Her diagnosis
Why she came to China
Her symptoms right before leaving Manchester
Her experiences with physical therapy in China
Improvements in her condition after undergoing the treatment course
Her plans on what to do when she returns back home
Final thoughts on her stay in China

Watch videos of Audrey doing physical therapy:
At the start of the treatment
Walking without help
Walking over blocks
At the end of the treatment
Walking without help
Walking over blocks