Girl with Cerebral Palsy will Leaves UK for Stem Cell Treatment

ITV Network Limited, May 14, 2007

To provide their eight-year-old daughter a revolutionary new treatment, a Bournemouth couple is trying to raise £18,000.

To improve the quality of life for their daughter Vaishanavi (nicknamed Shonia), who is sick with cerebral palsy, both parents trust that stem cell injections are the most promising treatment.

The condition is typically caused before, during, or immediately following birth due to poor oxygen delivery to the brain. There has been no medical treatment for the condition until just recently.

Brain injured children in other countries of the world were benefiting from amazing results thanks to stem cell injections, and this fact came to Kishor's awareness when he was performing an online search.

Kishor and his wife Priti have inquired with an American couple who took their son to a clinic for stem cell therapy. The boy has improved significantly according to his parents.

"I spoke to the mother on the telephone and we were both crying," said Priti. "Before, her child was like a vegetable. He used to get fits. He couldn't eat or sleep. Now he's like a normal child."

"We want to give Shonia a better standard of life. She is totally wheelchair bound and can't speak," added Kishor.

"We're hoping her life will be improved. We wouldn't have gone for something that's unsafe. She's our only daughter and she's very precious."

As soon as next month, a Chinese hospital has offered to admit Shonia as a patient for stem cell therapy. Her treatment will also include physical therapy.

"I brought her into the world and I will do my best for her. I want to go for it," said Priti. "All I want is for her not to need a hoist or to be able to go to the toilet herself. She's very intelligent and it's not a very good thing to be dependent on other people."

Shonia's parents were informed that their child would not survive when she was born. Later, after she made it through her birth, doctors told the couple that Shonia would never talk or walk.

"She is responding, showing joy and smiling, and she's trying to get some words out. We see hope," said Priti.

To repair the damage in her brain, they expect the stem cells will differentiate into new nerve cells. The stem cells that will be used in her treatment will be obtained from the umbilical cord blood of healthy babies.

The family is organizing a fundraising event and setting up a special bank account to pay for the treatment. Contributions inquiries can be directed to joanna.codd@bournemouthecho.co.uk or ring 01202 411296.