Adult Stem Cell Research With Cord Blood Cells Eases Girls’ Cerebral Palsy
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
July 29, 2008
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — Though the debate over federal funding of embryonic stem cell research isn’t as hot of a political topic in this presidential election, part of the reason could be the enormous success of adult stem cells. While embryonic cells still haven’t helped a single patient, adult stem cells continue to perform miracles.
Arizona toddler Chloe Levine had cerebral palsy and was unable to perform tasks such as holding her bottle with her right hand or crawling.
After a diagnosis with a neurologist, Levine’s parents say they learned she had right-side hemiplegic cerebral palsy and would need nearly two decades of therapy.
Then, the Levine family learned of an experimental procedure at Duke University where doctors were using children’s own stem cells from umbilical cord blood to heal and repair damaged brain tissue.
The family told Fox News that they remembered they had banked Chloe’s blood and would use the cells from it to help her.
Chloe is now two years-old and, two months ago, she had the injection of the cells.
“Her therapist said she’s made a 50 percent recovery,” her father, Ryan Levine, told Fox News. “She can walk, run, and do sign language with her right hand.”
Dr. Manny Alvarez, managing health editor of FOXNews.com, talked about the case.
“It was a miracle,” Alvarez said Monday on FOX & Friends. “I congratulate you for banking her cord blood. Stem cells are a new field of medicine and they certainly can rejuvenate the tissue.”
He urged parents to bank the cord blood of their newborn child.
“There is no downside, this is material we used to throw away,” he said. “And while the blood is most useful for the child it came from, it can sometimes be used for siblings. This is a science that is evolving more and more.”
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