Autism and Down Syndrome Patient Stories
Boy (7 years old), Autism
2013 Questionnaire (Answered by the boy's father)
1. Before going for the treatment, were there any apprehensions you had in mind? If yes, what were they?
Answer: My son is an Autistic child and I was hopeful for the stem cell treatment, as many advances were made in this field through medical research. There were many apprehensions we had before the treatment as given below.
1st: Is there any side effect of this treatment for Autism. Because for such treatment the stem cell are to reach to the brain of my child and if there is any side effect like rejection of foreign body cells than it can cause harm and the condition of my child in that situation would be unpredictable. However, on discussions with the doctors we understood that these would be the stem cells from the bone marrow of my son himself and not from foreign body. Therefore no chance of rejection.
2nd: I had kept studying about research and advancements in stem cell treatment for the past many years, as this was the area of my most important concern in my life. Even before the birth of my son, I had been watching programs on this subject only due to my interest in science and the technology field. When the USA banned the research on this subject in their country, I had a thought that now advancement in this field would be difficult and slower, as, due to my assumption, most of the modern day medical research and breakthroughs were made in USA. My son was born after that and we didn't realize that anything was wrong with our son up to the age of 20 months. But now as we know about him being Autistic, we were going for his stem cell treatment in India itself.
Another main apprehension was, as I am now going for stem cell treatment in India itself, would the level of expertise and adequate medical facilities for processing stem cells become available in our country.
3rd: The cost of treatment, of course, was also a matter of concern.
4th: My son was about to reach the age of 7 years old. Whether stem cell treatment can be effective at this age?
There were other concerns regarding procedures and anesthesia.
2. Were you aware about stem cell therapy before getting this treatment for your child?
Answer: Yes we were fully aware about stem cell treatment.
3. What was the condition of the patient before treatment?
Answer: My child is an Autistic child. He had not spoken any meaningful words until the age of 7. He used to utter meaningless words/sounds and was frequently shouting and screaming. He was hyper in nature, running throughout the house and playing with the toys in wrong manner. He was not aware of dangers present in normal life. His intelligence was less developed in areas he wasn't interested in. However, he was very smart in areas he was interested in. He was busy all the time in doing repetitive jobs, such as circling and doing roundabouts, etc. Although his intelligence was somewhat developed and he followed many instructions given to him, he was not understanding the language fully and nouns were totally missing from his vocabulary. He is a lovely child, very cute. Everyone who saw him, could not stop themselves from loving this lovely child.
4. What had been tried by you for treatment before going for stem cell therapy?
Answer: When we came to know about our son having Autism, we tried everything we could do or we came to know about something helpful. First we met many doctors to get some medicine to increase his intelligence. Later on we understood that it is not so much that his intelligence is less, but it is a disorder in his behavior. His intelligence was OK in the areas of his interest. We also got his ability of hearing checked (BERA test), as we had a doubt that his reason for not speaking (meaningfully), as he could be having a hearing deficiency. We got done his MRI also, it was in order. Finally, child psychologists explained to us about Autism and its symptoms. We rejected their suggestions/diagnostics initially, but later on, upon finding most of the symptoms present in our child, we accepted the hard and disturbing fact that our son is an Autistic child. The worst thing which broke me down to the root of my courage, which I had developed by withstanding every adverse circumstance in my life, was that there was no effective treatment available for this disorder at that time, as per my knowledge. Which means, there was no cure to our misery. The only thing we could undertake to help our son was to go for various therapies, including behavior therapy, special education, occupational therapy etc. He always understood that we are asking him to speak some particular word, but he was so reluctant to speak it. Therefore speech therapy was not helpful. Though these therapies were somewhat helpful in developing the understanding capability and reducing the hyperactivity, we had been realizing that these are only our efforts to deal with the problem in the absence of actual treatment.
5. What improvements have you observed in the child post stem cell treatment?
Answer: We had our son treated with stem cell treatment and now 5 weeks have been passed. Doctors told us that the effect of this treatment will start becoming visible from 2 months on and would finalize at 8 or 9 months after the treatment. However, the change in the behavior is visible in advance from the duration told by the doctors. My son has now started sitting at one place for longer durations (20-30 minutes), while earlier he used to sit at one place not more than 2 minutes and thereafter he used to run here and there. Alternatively his hyperactivity has reduced to 30%, as compared to earlier. He is now shouting and screaming quite less. His attention is also increased to some extent. He is now understanding more instructions and has started to recognize the things by name (nouns). Many symptoms of Autism have started fading (repetitive jobs are reduced to considerably less now). These are initial signs of the treatment becoming effective, but it is quite early for any conclusive opinion at present. When we had decided to go for stem cell treatment, doctors told us that there is a benefit in 70% of cases only, and the quantum of the improvement gained in those cases also differ case by case. Also the number of such cases treated are very few. So it was well understood that the chances of my son being benefitted were not sure and that there were also some risks involved. I had decided that for any benefit for my child I am ready to face the risks involved, as I can not leave any stone unturned for the betterment of my son’s life (though those risks explained to me were of a very rare nature, but for a father a risk to the child is of great concern). Also I had decided that even if there is only marginal improvement, I would avail that also for his betterment.
6. How has your overall experience at Advancells been and would you recommend stem cell therapy to other patients' families?
Answer: The experience with Advancells was very good, excellent. Full time during the treatment the Advancells team remained with us. Fully involved, even all our concerns were replied to by team members themselves. All arrangements were made by them. The cell processing lab setup at Noida is of international standards (I personally visited to check the lab facility before deciding for treatment). Stem cells extracted from the bone marrow was processed by German doctors/experts. The hospital was one of the best in India. I really felt having facilities of international standards in my own native place, instead of going half the globe away for the treatment in an unknown country, where in case of an emergency I was alone to tackle it.
I would really recommend stem cell treatment to other patients' families, who are in any way concerned with an Autistic human being. It is really the duty of every human being to help other human beings in living life.
7. Are you satisfied with the results of the treatment?
Answer: I have already mentioned that I wanted to avail even 1% of the improvement achieved. So theoretically I am already satisfied with the result that there is improvement in the condition of my son. The result has started showing up now and I expect that at least the next six month shall reveal the full extent of the result. The level of satisfaction would be depending on that. But at present I am satisfied by the treatment itself. Satisfaction with the result will come after assessment of maximum gain achieved.
8. Have you come across any changes in the social behavior of your child post treatment?
Answer: Post treatment social behavior is yet to be judged, as there are only a few moments which came across for checkup of his social behavior. But his behavior towards family members has changed on positive side.
9. What according to you are the advantages of stem cell treatment compared to other treatment modalities for autism?
Answer: The other treatment methods are mainly various therapies. In my opinion by applying these therapies we actually try to tackle the effects of Autism, such as try to reduce repetitive behavior and improve the speech ability. But the root cause of the problem is not addressed by these therapies. The stem cell treatment, in my opinion is developed to carry out the repair work of the damaged part of the human body, which means addressing the root cause of the problem. Therefore, this treatment I consider as the actual effective treatment of such problem.
10. Was the treatment painful?
Answer: I did not notice my son suffering any pain during the treatment. He was happily playing before and after the sedation for bone marrow extraction and for lumber puncture. After the treatment for 2 or 3 days he showed some signs of a headache, but it was not so severe and was of the normal nature. Except that there was no any pain noticed by us. During the treatment there was no pain.
2013 Questionnaire (Answered by the boy's father)
1. Before going for the treatment, were there any apprehensions you had in mind? If yes, what were they?
Answer: My son is an Autistic child and I was hopeful for the stem cell treatment, as many advances were made in this field through medical research. There were many apprehensions we had before the treatment as given below.
1st: Is there any side effect of this treatment for Autism. Because for such treatment the stem cell are to reach to the brain of my child and if there is any side effect like rejection of foreign body cells than it can cause harm and the condition of my child in that situation would be unpredictable. However, on discussions with the doctors we understood that these would be the stem cells from the bone marrow of my son himself and not from foreign body. Therefore no chance of rejection.
2nd: I had kept studying about research and advancements in stem cell treatment for the past many years, as this was the area of my most important concern in my life. Even before the birth of my son, I had been watching programs on this subject only due to my interest in science and the technology field. When the USA banned the research on this subject in their country, I had a thought that now advancement in this field would be difficult and slower, as, due to my assumption, most of the modern day medical research and breakthroughs were made in USA. My son was born after that and we didn't realize that anything was wrong with our son up to the age of 20 months. But now as we know about him being Autistic, we were going for his stem cell treatment in India itself.
Another main apprehension was, as I am now going for stem cell treatment in India itself, would the level of expertise and adequate medical facilities for processing stem cells become available in our country.
3rd: The cost of treatment, of course, was also a matter of concern.
4th: My son was about to reach the age of 7 years old. Whether stem cell treatment can be effective at this age?
There were other concerns regarding procedures and anesthesia.
2. Were you aware about stem cell therapy before getting this treatment for your child?
Answer: Yes we were fully aware about stem cell treatment.
3. What was the condition of the patient before treatment?
Answer: My child is an Autistic child. He had not spoken any meaningful words until the age of 7. He used to utter meaningless words/sounds and was frequently shouting and screaming. He was hyper in nature, running throughout the house and playing with the toys in wrong manner. He was not aware of dangers present in normal life. His intelligence was less developed in areas he wasn't interested in. However, he was very smart in areas he was interested in. He was busy all the time in doing repetitive jobs, such as circling and doing roundabouts, etc. Although his intelligence was somewhat developed and he followed many instructions given to him, he was not understanding the language fully and nouns were totally missing from his vocabulary. He is a lovely child, very cute. Everyone who saw him, could not stop themselves from loving this lovely child.
4. What had been tried by you for treatment before going for stem cell therapy?
Answer: When we came to know about our son having Autism, we tried everything we could do or we came to know about something helpful. First we met many doctors to get some medicine to increase his intelligence. Later on we understood that it is not so much that his intelligence is less, but it is a disorder in his behavior. His intelligence was OK in the areas of his interest. We also got his ability of hearing checked (BERA test), as we had a doubt that his reason for not speaking (meaningfully), as he could be having a hearing deficiency. We got done his MRI also, it was in order. Finally, child psychologists explained to us about Autism and its symptoms. We rejected their suggestions/diagnostics initially, but later on, upon finding most of the symptoms present in our child, we accepted the hard and disturbing fact that our son is an Autistic child. The worst thing which broke me down to the root of my courage, which I had developed by withstanding every adverse circumstance in my life, was that there was no effective treatment available for this disorder at that time, as per my knowledge. Which means, there was no cure to our misery. The only thing we could undertake to help our son was to go for various therapies, including behavior therapy, special education, occupational therapy etc. He always understood that we are asking him to speak some particular word, but he was so reluctant to speak it. Therefore speech therapy was not helpful. Though these therapies were somewhat helpful in developing the understanding capability and reducing the hyperactivity, we had been realizing that these are only our efforts to deal with the problem in the absence of actual treatment.
5. What improvements have you observed in the child post stem cell treatment?
Answer: We had our son treated with stem cell treatment and now 5 weeks have been passed. Doctors told us that the effect of this treatment will start becoming visible from 2 months on and would finalize at 8 or 9 months after the treatment. However, the change in the behavior is visible in advance from the duration told by the doctors. My son has now started sitting at one place for longer durations (20-30 minutes), while earlier he used to sit at one place not more than 2 minutes and thereafter he used to run here and there. Alternatively his hyperactivity has reduced to 30%, as compared to earlier. He is now shouting and screaming quite less. His attention is also increased to some extent. He is now understanding more instructions and has started to recognize the things by name (nouns). Many symptoms of Autism have started fading (repetitive jobs are reduced to considerably less now). These are initial signs of the treatment becoming effective, but it is quite early for any conclusive opinion at present. When we had decided to go for stem cell treatment, doctors told us that there is a benefit in 70% of cases only, and the quantum of the improvement gained in those cases also differ case by case. Also the number of such cases treated are very few. So it was well understood that the chances of my son being benefitted were not sure and that there were also some risks involved. I had decided that for any benefit for my child I am ready to face the risks involved, as I can not leave any stone unturned for the betterment of my son’s life (though those risks explained to me were of a very rare nature, but for a father a risk to the child is of great concern). Also I had decided that even if there is only marginal improvement, I would avail that also for his betterment.
6. How has your overall experience at Advancells been and would you recommend stem cell therapy to other patients' families?
Answer: The experience with Advancells was very good, excellent. Full time during the treatment the Advancells team remained with us. Fully involved, even all our concerns were replied to by team members themselves. All arrangements were made by them. The cell processing lab setup at Noida is of international standards (I personally visited to check the lab facility before deciding for treatment). Stem cells extracted from the bone marrow was processed by German doctors/experts. The hospital was one of the best in India. I really felt having facilities of international standards in my own native place, instead of going half the globe away for the treatment in an unknown country, where in case of an emergency I was alone to tackle it.
I would really recommend stem cell treatment to other patients' families, who are in any way concerned with an Autistic human being. It is really the duty of every human being to help other human beings in living life.
7. Are you satisfied with the results of the treatment?
Answer: I have already mentioned that I wanted to avail even 1% of the improvement achieved. So theoretically I am already satisfied with the result that there is improvement in the condition of my son. The result has started showing up now and I expect that at least the next six month shall reveal the full extent of the result. The level of satisfaction would be depending on that. But at present I am satisfied by the treatment itself. Satisfaction with the result will come after assessment of maximum gain achieved.
8. Have you come across any changes in the social behavior of your child post treatment?
Answer: Post treatment social behavior is yet to be judged, as there are only a few moments which came across for checkup of his social behavior. But his behavior towards family members has changed on positive side.
9. What according to you are the advantages of stem cell treatment compared to other treatment modalities for autism?
Answer: The other treatment methods are mainly various therapies. In my opinion by applying these therapies we actually try to tackle the effects of Autism, such as try to reduce repetitive behavior and improve the speech ability. But the root cause of the problem is not addressed by these therapies. The stem cell treatment, in my opinion is developed to carry out the repair work of the damaged part of the human body, which means addressing the root cause of the problem. Therefore, this treatment I consider as the actual effective treatment of such problem.
10. Was the treatment painful?
Answer: I did not notice my son suffering any pain during the treatment. He was happily playing before and after the sedation for bone marrow extraction and for lumber puncture. After the treatment for 2 or 3 days he showed some signs of a headache, but it was not so severe and was of the normal nature. Except that there was no any pain noticed by us. During the treatment there was no pain.
Alfonso Bollullo (7 years old), Autism
Residence: Spain
I'm Victoria, the mother of an autistic child named Alfonso. Since diagnosed with autism, we have not stopped fighting for our child. All the doctors, neurologists, and psychologists said the same thing, "I'm sorry. Your child is autistic and there is no cure for this condition."
I'm happy that stem cells are doing a great job and saving my child from the lost world in which he lives.
We stimulated our baby at home and with other professionals from his school. He was progressing and learning very slowly but we had a lot of patience and dedication; never giving up and continually seeking for the best for him.
One day, at one of the meetings held at school for my son, we learned that a playmate was taken to Germany to be treated with stem cells.
When I got home, without hesitation, we contacted the clinic's web site twice and filled out the medical form. I felt an immense joy when they told me that Alfonso could be treated with stem cells at their facility.
His treatment was performed in August 2009 by transplantation of the stem cells through lumbar puncture. His cells were previously collected from his own bone marrow, and processed in the lab just two days beforehand. He had a large number of cells with pretty good quality and over 80 percent cell viability.
That same day, Alfonso went to the hotel and showed a little reaction to the lumbar puncture: headache and nausea, but the doctors had already provided us with all medication needed to alleviate symptoms. Just past 15 hours, Alfonso was completely recovered, happy and very excited, so we decided to spend a few days getting to know Germany. We thought that these trips would be good and indeed they were.
From our arrival until returning back to the airport, we were accompanied at all times by clinic staff, who were exquisitely kind and dedicated. We are very grateful for this because for us, it was not exactly a vacation but a trip of medical necessity instead. But we really wanted to go home and spend the following months seeing treatment results in my son.
It is now September 25, 2010, and I must say that Alfonso has had significant changes. He is very responsive, participatory, sociable, and laughing a lot. He has always been a loving child but it is incredible that he wishes so far and interacts with others. Before the treatment, it took months to teach him (sometimes unsuccessfully). Now, it takes very little for him to realize what you want him to do. The orders as "take or give" meant nothing before but now I have to say a couple of times and he reacts.
Before he could not climb the stairs but now he has no problems doing that although it takes some effort.
I can only say that my baby is changing. Normally, it is difficult for an autistic child to progress, but he is getting it much faster. I'm happy that stem cells are doing a great job and saving my child from the lost world in which he lives.
Residence: Spain
I'm Victoria, the mother of an autistic child named Alfonso. Since diagnosed with autism, we have not stopped fighting for our child. All the doctors, neurologists, and psychologists said the same thing, "I'm sorry. Your child is autistic and there is no cure for this condition."
I'm happy that stem cells are doing a great job and saving my child from the lost world in which he lives.
We stimulated our baby at home and with other professionals from his school. He was progressing and learning very slowly but we had a lot of patience and dedication; never giving up and continually seeking for the best for him.
One day, at one of the meetings held at school for my son, we learned that a playmate was taken to Germany to be treated with stem cells.
When I got home, without hesitation, we contacted the clinic's web site twice and filled out the medical form. I felt an immense joy when they told me that Alfonso could be treated with stem cells at their facility.
His treatment was performed in August 2009 by transplantation of the stem cells through lumbar puncture. His cells were previously collected from his own bone marrow, and processed in the lab just two days beforehand. He had a large number of cells with pretty good quality and over 80 percent cell viability.
That same day, Alfonso went to the hotel and showed a little reaction to the lumbar puncture: headache and nausea, but the doctors had already provided us with all medication needed to alleviate symptoms. Just past 15 hours, Alfonso was completely recovered, happy and very excited, so we decided to spend a few days getting to know Germany. We thought that these trips would be good and indeed they were.
From our arrival until returning back to the airport, we were accompanied at all times by clinic staff, who were exquisitely kind and dedicated. We are very grateful for this because for us, it was not exactly a vacation but a trip of medical necessity instead. But we really wanted to go home and spend the following months seeing treatment results in my son.
It is now September 25, 2010, and I must say that Alfonso has had significant changes. He is very responsive, participatory, sociable, and laughing a lot. He has always been a loving child but it is incredible that he wishes so far and interacts with others. Before the treatment, it took months to teach him (sometimes unsuccessfully). Now, it takes very little for him to realize what you want him to do. The orders as "take or give" meant nothing before but now I have to say a couple of times and he reacts.
Before he could not climb the stairs but now he has no problems doing that although it takes some effort.
I can only say that my baby is changing. Normally, it is difficult for an autistic child to progress, but he is getting it much faster. I'm happy that stem cells are doing a great job and saving my child from the lost world in which he lives.
Lauren DiCorcia (11 years old, Autism
DOB: December 4th, 1998
Lauren's Stem Cell Progress (an email to other parents from Mrs. DiCorcia)
Thought it would be a good time to sit back and reflect on Lauren's progress since her Stem Cell treatment last January, 2009. Most of you know the story but a few are "new" parents to so I will back up and tell you that we took Lauren for Adult Stem Cell therapy.
The center used her own stem cells drawn from her hip bone marrow, centrifuged the next day, then reinserted via lumbar puncture the following day (2.95 million cells). Both procedures were quick and not invasive at all.
Initial Results
We immediately saw significant improvements in our daughters behaviors, focus, hyperactivity, and insomnia. I would rate a general improvement of about 40% - this is HUGE for a family living with autism.
Our daughter started sleeping through the night for the first time (10 years old and yet up every night) since stem cells. Lauren is happier just in her own skin - so much less frustrated and just generally happier. She is getting through her one-on-one therapy more quickly, better focused, and more compliant.
Of course, it amazes me that this simple, non-controversial therapy cannot be done here in the United States.
Results After One Year
At the year mark, I look back and feel truly blessed at the progress she has made. Her frustration level went from about 75% to 10%. Her hyperactivity probably 99% to 20%. Her leg squeezing about 90% to 1% - although she has picked up another stim - flapping objects, however is much more easily redirected.
Her cognitive abilities have greatly improved (I think she is the teachers pet this year)! Never been able to say that before. Her expressive language, always very low, has improved with knowing when to say "please" and "thank you" and requesting now BEFORE she has a meltdown or needs to be prompted.
Her receptive language went from about 80% to 100% making her much more compliant. Her sense of humor is hysterical - she teases us now. Her social interaction has also improved with being more interested in who is around and not finding another room away from everyone. Her loudness has decrease from 110% to about 15%....Our house is a MUCH more peaceful place. Oh yes, and she still sleeps through the night and most days I am dragging her up at 8am for school!
Granted, she is definitely still Autistic, but what a great year she has had and our family is so thankful for that! Maybe we'll go again…
Thanks for following us on this journey and for your prayers and support!
DOB: December 4th, 1998
Lauren's Stem Cell Progress (an email to other parents from Mrs. DiCorcia)
Thought it would be a good time to sit back and reflect on Lauren's progress since her Stem Cell treatment last January, 2009. Most of you know the story but a few are "new" parents to so I will back up and tell you that we took Lauren for Adult Stem Cell therapy.
The center used her own stem cells drawn from her hip bone marrow, centrifuged the next day, then reinserted via lumbar puncture the following day (2.95 million cells). Both procedures were quick and not invasive at all.
Initial Results
We immediately saw significant improvements in our daughters behaviors, focus, hyperactivity, and insomnia. I would rate a general improvement of about 40% - this is HUGE for a family living with autism.
Our daughter started sleeping through the night for the first time (10 years old and yet up every night) since stem cells. Lauren is happier just in her own skin - so much less frustrated and just generally happier. She is getting through her one-on-one therapy more quickly, better focused, and more compliant.
Of course, it amazes me that this simple, non-controversial therapy cannot be done here in the United States.
Results After One Year
At the year mark, I look back and feel truly blessed at the progress she has made. Her frustration level went from about 75% to 10%. Her hyperactivity probably 99% to 20%. Her leg squeezing about 90% to 1% - although she has picked up another stim - flapping objects, however is much more easily redirected.
Her cognitive abilities have greatly improved (I think she is the teachers pet this year)! Never been able to say that before. Her expressive language, always very low, has improved with knowing when to say "please" and "thank you" and requesting now BEFORE she has a meltdown or needs to be prompted.
Her receptive language went from about 80% to 100% making her much more compliant. Her sense of humor is hysterical - she teases us now. Her social interaction has also improved with being more interested in who is around and not finding another room away from everyone. Her loudness has decrease from 110% to about 15%....Our house is a MUCH more peaceful place. Oh yes, and she still sleeps through the night and most days I am dragging her up at 8am for school!
Granted, she is definitely still Autistic, but what a great year she has had and our family is so thankful for that! Maybe we'll go again…
Thanks for following us on this journey and for your prayers and support!
April Meijer (7 years old), Down Syndrome
Treatment: IV Mannitol
Treatment Date: February 17, 2011
We are happy with the result of the stemcell treatment sofar (three weeks after treatment)...We are already thinking/dreaming of a repeat treatment.
April was born on January 9th, 2004. She was born with Down Syndrome and a duodenal artresia and annular pancreas. This was surgically corrected within days after birth and after a hospital stay of about 6 weeks April came home. Breastfeeding April for a year her health was good. We stimulated her development and played and interacted with April intensively. This resulted in her development being only mildly delayed: sitting at app. 9 months, signing (mummy, daddy, more) at 12 months and uttering her first word (dada) at about 14 months. At app. 18-22 months she started walking but shortly after April received her childhood vaccinations 'things' started to go downhill fast.
Within a few months April 'lost' her signs and words and she appeared deaf, not responding to our voices or music. Eye contact was severely reduced, she refused to walk, stopped playing with her toys, developed extreme sleeping problems and temper tantrums. Her development had stopped and she withdrew herself completely. She went from a happy, social toddler to a hyperactive, severely disturbed little girl.
She broke out in rashes constantly, started having ear infections one after the other. After many courses of antibiotics she developed rashes (allergies) for most antibiotics and chemicals (perfumes, additives etc.). Finally she started having bowel movements once every two weeks, needing laxatives for relief.
The regression, of course, was first blamed on her genetic condition: Down syndrome. But having spent 24/7 with my child since birth, intensively working and playing every day, I knew 'something' had triggered this abrupt change.
When April was about 3 years old and literally leaving any space as if a twister went thru, throwing everything within reach onto the floor, she received the diagnosis autism (and ADHD was reserved in her file).
That's when we started making changes in her diet into GFCF (gluten free/casein free), eating only biologic/organic produce, we threw out all chemical cleaners and started giving supplements and enzymes. We saw an immediate improvement in all fields of development and general health. Encouraged by the success we started looking for more therapies that could help April.
On February 17, 2011 April (age 7) underwent stem cell therapy via IV. There were no side effects and the treatment caused only minimal discomfort to April. Within several days of treatment April started showing more interest for our daily routines, she started imitating more readily and we saw an increase in her self-help skills. April is more aware (following instructions), her play skills are increasing (showing interest in more toys/games) and her social skills are improving (looking for contact with others). School has reported that April's verbal attempts are improving in both frequency and intelligebility .
We are happy with the result of the stemcell treatment sofar (three weeks after treatment), and are working hard with April to help maximize the gains. We are already thinking/dreaming of a repeat treatment.
Treatment: IV Mannitol
Treatment Date: February 17, 2011
We are happy with the result of the stemcell treatment sofar (three weeks after treatment)...We are already thinking/dreaming of a repeat treatment.
April was born on January 9th, 2004. She was born with Down Syndrome and a duodenal artresia and annular pancreas. This was surgically corrected within days after birth and after a hospital stay of about 6 weeks April came home. Breastfeeding April for a year her health was good. We stimulated her development and played and interacted with April intensively. This resulted in her development being only mildly delayed: sitting at app. 9 months, signing (mummy, daddy, more) at 12 months and uttering her first word (dada) at about 14 months. At app. 18-22 months she started walking but shortly after April received her childhood vaccinations 'things' started to go downhill fast.
Within a few months April 'lost' her signs and words and she appeared deaf, not responding to our voices or music. Eye contact was severely reduced, she refused to walk, stopped playing with her toys, developed extreme sleeping problems and temper tantrums. Her development had stopped and she withdrew herself completely. She went from a happy, social toddler to a hyperactive, severely disturbed little girl.
She broke out in rashes constantly, started having ear infections one after the other. After many courses of antibiotics she developed rashes (allergies) for most antibiotics and chemicals (perfumes, additives etc.). Finally she started having bowel movements once every two weeks, needing laxatives for relief.
The regression, of course, was first blamed on her genetic condition: Down syndrome. But having spent 24/7 with my child since birth, intensively working and playing every day, I knew 'something' had triggered this abrupt change.
When April was about 3 years old and literally leaving any space as if a twister went thru, throwing everything within reach onto the floor, she received the diagnosis autism (and ADHD was reserved in her file).
That's when we started making changes in her diet into GFCF (gluten free/casein free), eating only biologic/organic produce, we threw out all chemical cleaners and started giving supplements and enzymes. We saw an immediate improvement in all fields of development and general health. Encouraged by the success we started looking for more therapies that could help April.
On February 17, 2011 April (age 7) underwent stem cell therapy via IV. There were no side effects and the treatment caused only minimal discomfort to April. Within several days of treatment April started showing more interest for our daily routines, she started imitating more readily and we saw an increase in her self-help skills. April is more aware (following instructions), her play skills are increasing (showing interest in more toys/games) and her social skills are improving (looking for contact with others). School has reported that April's verbal attempts are improving in both frequency and intelligebility .
We are happy with the result of the stemcell treatment sofar (three weeks after treatment), and are working hard with April to help maximize the gains. We are already thinking/dreaming of a repeat treatment.
