Seven-year-old Ee Han has had a rough start to his life. Born with cerebral palsy, he cannot walk, feed himself or change his own clothes. But thanks to cord blood stem cells, his condition has dramatically improved in the past few months.
Three days after Ee was born, doctors discovered that he had severe hearing loss in both ears. While this was very concerning to his parents, they thought he was relatively healthy.
Ee’s parents became more concerned three months later, when they realised he could not hold his own head up. They took him back to the hospital for tests and were told that he had cerebral palsy.
Cerebral palsy is caused by abnormal brain development, usually while the child is still in the womb. It is a devastating condition that can cause muscle rigidity, learning disabilities, limping, and difficulty with bodily movements. There is currently no cure for the condition.
Over the next few years, Ee missed the developmental milestones that a normal child has. He was unable to crawl until he was two years of age. Ee also struggled to communicate with his parents and had very volatile emotional swings.
In 2014, Ee’s parents saw a child with cerebral palsy who had undergone a cord blood transplant. The child’s condition had shown a marked improvement since receiving the transplant.
Ee had some of his cord blood taken from him just after birth and stored at a private cord blood bank. His parents talked to doctors about the possibility of him receiving a transplant of this cord blood to treat his cerebral palsy. The doctors agreed that it could lead to some improvements in his condition.
Ee eventually received his cord blood transplant. Within a few weeks, his parents noticed a number of improvements in his condition. Ee’s temperament was better, he was more coordinated and stronger. He also became more communicative with his parents — a great relief for them both.
Source: Born with cerebral palsy, cord blood offers 7-year-old chance of a better life
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