Personal Success Stories

JACKI RABON

Spinal Cord Injury

Jacki, 18, suffered an injury to her spine in August, 2003 that left her paralyzed. She was treated in Portugal by Dr. Carlos Lima with her own adult stem cells derived from olfactory mucosa. Dr. Lima's work using adult stem cells to treat spinal cord injuries, such as the treatment Jacki received, will be published this week in the June 24th issue of the peer-reviewed Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine. Jacki is from Waverly, Illinois.

B_Patrizia Durante - Patrizia Durante

PATRIZIA DURANTE

Leukemia

Patrizia was diagnosed with acute leukemia six months into her pregnancy. Her daughter, Victoria Angel, was born healthy, but Durante was given only six months to live. The stem cells from the blood of her daughter’s umbilical cord were used for a transplant. Several years later, Durante is in full remission. “She saved her mommy,” Durante told reporters. “She’s a little miracle. That’s why we named her Victoria Angel. She’s my little angel.”

B_Gina Rugari - Giina Rugari

GINA RUGARI

Krabbe’s Leukodystrophy

Gina was born with Krabbe’s leukodystrophy. This is a rare, degenerative enzyme disorder of the nervous system, in which the baby shows initial signs of irritability and developmental delay or regression. Seizures and fevers often follow, then blindness and deafness until the baby dies, usually before age 2. Gina was tested for Krabbe’s leukodystrophy shortly after she was born, because she had a brother who had died from the disease. Doctors treated Gina with chemotherapy to destroy her immune system, and introduced new umbilical cord blood stem cells from a closely matched donor. The transplanted cells produced the missing enzyme. Her body accepted the cells, and she is thriving several years after the transplant.

DENNIS TURNER

Parkinson’s Disease

Dennis was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease and by early 1991 he suffered extreme shaking of the right side of his body and became unable to use his right arm. Neurosurgeon Dr. Michele Levesque removed a small tissue sample from Mr. Turner’s brain, and isolated adult neural stem cells. He multiplied and matured these cells into nerve cells, and injected them back into the left side of Mr. Turner’s brain, which controls the right side of the body. Soon afterwards, the Parkinson’s symptoms began to improve in his right side. His trembling decreased, until to all appearances it disappeared. Neurological evaluation indicated a marked improvement in his symptoms, which lasted for about 5 years. Because Parkinson’s is a progressive ailment, his condition is continuing to deteriorate, but as Mr. Turner recently testified at a U.S. Senate Committee hearing, “…I have no doubt that because of this treatment I’ve enjoyed five years of quality life that I feared had passed me by.” He enthusiastically expressed a willingness to undergo a repeat surgery of this sort to further slow the progression of his symptoms.


Before	After

CAROL FRANZ

Multiple Myeloma

Carol Franz before & after treatment with her own bone marrow adult stem cells for multiple myeloma.

Visit Carol's site here

B_Kaitlyn McNamara - Kaitlyn McNamara

KAITLYN MCNAMARA

Organ regeneration

Kaitlyn McNamara had a new functional bladder constructed from her own adult stem cells.

JAMES HERMANN

Leukemia

James W. Hermann, a former Leukemia patient, received a bone marrow adult stem cell transplant of his brother’s cells July 27, 2001. Now considered cured!

DOUG RICE

Congestive Heart Failure, Coronary Artery Disease

Doug Rice has seen dramatic improvements in his heart after treatment with his own bone marrow adult stem cells.

JAIDER ABBUD

Juvenile Diabetes

Jaider Abbud, a Brazilian dental surgeon diagnosed at the age of 26 last year with juvenile diabetes. He is no longer taking insulin after receiving an infusion of his own stem cells in a trial in 2006.