"I was amazed that almost all the top Chinese researchers [in] the regenerative medicine field had been educated in the US and the UK and gained extensive working experience there in cutting edge research"
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Dr. Halla Thorsteinsdóttir, McLaughlin-Rotman Centre for Global Health (MRC)
4 bags of umbilical cord stem cells via IV; 4 bags of S/C via intramuscular site injections (Round I: 60 injections into my biceps, thighs, and scapula/back; Round II: 24 injections into the front of my thighs and calves + 16 into the back of my legs); 1 Bone Marrow treatment.
VISION-IMPAIRED sisters Moana and Leilani Faasisila have returned from China where they had therapy to improve their sight - with promising results.
The Quakers Hill girls, aged seven and five, were born with Leber’s Congenital Amaurosis - while they were still in the womb their retinas were already deteriorating due to a missing protein.
Leilani has no depth perception and can only see colours that are vibrant.
Moana can only see bright light and shadow.
Their only hope of improving their sight was stem cell therapy in China - at a cost of $38,000.
Through the support of the Rouse Hill Renegades rugby union team and the Ettamogah Hotel, the community dug deep at a cocktail fundraiser in February and in March the family of six travelled to China so the girls could receive treatment.
The girls’ treatment consisted of three intravenous injections, three spinal injections of donated cord blood, acupuncture, acupressure and electrowave therapy.
Mum Honi Faasisila said: “While we were there we noticed very subtle differences in Leilani’s vision.
“Since my last post my left and right eye are now at around 5 meters!! Big difference from 1 meter??!! I notice a lot more little things like I could see the goal posts at a match last week and every day things.”
We were excited to read today's news from Valerie about her progress since receiving stem cell therapy. Her story of vision loss was scary to say the least. Getting some of it back must be wonderful.
This week we're bringing you a video about an Indonesian patient treated for Spinal Muscular Atrophy III. SMA III is the least aggressive type of SMA but Nirma, at 30, is nearly confined to a wheelchair now. In this short video she talks about her specific condition and the improvements she saw in China receiving adult stem cell therapy. You can also check out our SMA II video following two patients.
Lachlan has been diagnosed with autism. He goes to a special school in Australia for children with behavioral disabilities. Last year Lachlan received adult stem cells to treat symptoms associated with autism. For a month Lachlan and his mother lived at the Chengyang People's Hospital where he received treatment.
The treatments are not meant to be a cure for autism. Medical science has yet to fully understand the causes of the disorder let alone discover drugs to correct it. Today, treatments seek to improve patients' quality of life as they endure their disability.
Read his full Patient Experience from Qingdao here. Can't see the video? Click here.
Adult stem cell therapy does not yet present a cure for a spinal cord injury. But patients receiving the therapy notice numerous improvements in their overall condition. These improvements are valuable all by themselves. Claire Marsh significantly reduced her reliance on a spasticity drug. She regained sweat function. These improvements aren't like Jesus calling someone to "rise and walk" but these additional symptoms add complications to a survivor's lifestyle.
Not only can they not move all their limbs but their limbs often twitch violently and uncontrollably. If they lose sweat function they can't move quickly for long regardless of their strength. Their ability to push themselves in PT and daily life becomes regulated by the temperature of the room they're in.
