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China Treatment Offers Hope for Eagleville Native |
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Wednesday, 16 July 2008 |
Source: Bethany Clipper
A trip to a Chinese medical clinic offers hope for a normal life for Eagleville native Tyson McLain.
McLain, who turns 26 this month, was diagnosed in 2003 with a debilitating condition called Friedreich’s Ataxia (FA).
Tyson’s family and friends from North Harrison High School will be holding a Battle of the Bands on Saturday afternoon to raise funds to send the Eagleville native to China for treatment of the genetic condition that afflicts only one in 50,000 people.
McLain, who now lives in Kansas City, said Chinese doctors offer the only treatment that has been shown to markedly improve the disorder. The doctors offer umbilical stem cell injections to patients suffering with FA.
“I was never very athletic,” said McClain, a 2000 graduate at North Harrison. But he noticed years ago a loss of coordination that has gotten worse over time.
“For some reason, its onset is different for different people,” he said.
According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Friedreich’s ataxia is an inherited condition that causes progressive damage to the nervous system. The disease often results in the deterioration of nerve tissue in the spinal cord and the nerves controlling muscle movement of the arms and legs.
After graduating from North Harrison, Tyson attended Park University in Parkville, Mo., where he had a radio show on the campus station. He currently works from home as a customer service agent for Accept Marketing, a contractor for Sprint.
Since the diagnosis of his condition, McClain has contacted a young woman who recently underwent treatment in China.
“She showed significant improvement,” McLain said.
The Battle of the Bands will start at 3 p.m. on Saturday, July 19, at the Bethany fairgrounds. Some six bands have signed up for the event so far, according to sponsors.
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Last Updated ( Friday, 18 July 2008 )
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