A motorcyclist who was paralysed after a serious accident is fighting back thanks to an innovative stem cell treatment. Andy Bell was left with significant spinal trauma after he collided head-on with a car last year.
The accident broke his back and caused a significant amount of damage to his spinal cord. Doctors told Andy that he would never walk again. It was devastating news for Andy, who was always very active and loved riding his motorbike.
Andy refused to accept the doctor’s diagnosis and began looking at advanced rehabilitation techniques and new treatments. He discovered that experimental medical procedures involving stem cells had been used to treat people with paralysis in Thailand.
Using a stem cell transplant to treat paralysis is still at the clinical trial stage in the United Stated and the United Kingdom. While the clinical trial results have been very positive, these treatments have not been approved for commercial use yet. Trailing to Thailand would allow Andy to obtain the treatment before it was available in the UK.
This innovative stem cell transplant involved 120 million stem cells being injected into his spine. Electrical currents were then passed through the spine to strengthen his spinal cord. It is an innovative surgery that has achieved some astonishing results.
Three days after the treatment, Andy was able to lift his leg — something that doctors in the UK told him was impossible. He began to perform aggressive rehabilitation and saw incredible results. Within a few weeks, he was able to stand with the help of a walking frame.
Andy has moved back to the UK and is living on his own, which is something that doctors also told him would be difficult. Andy’s next big challenge is to run the Great North Run in 2018. He continues to improve and is committed to regaining full movement in his legs.
Source: See paralysed motorcyclist take his first steps following revolutionary stem cell treatment
{{cta(‘010124f3-c9bc-4a23-b9fc-74953e6288c9’)}}