Stem cells help spinal cord injury sufferers

Every year approximately 11,000 people in the U.S. receive major spinal cord injuries that result in either paraplegia (loss of leg movement and possibly sensation) or quadriplegia (loss of movement and possibly sensation in arms and legs). In almost every case the prognosis is grim: years of rehabilitation, thousands of dollars in medical bills, and the near-certainty that they will never recover from their injuries.

However, medical science is bringing hope to the 250,000 Americans living with spinal cord injury today. “Adult” stem cells (or tissue stem cells) are currently being used to help paraplegics and quadriplegics regain movement and sensation. Two women from Texas, one a paraplegic and one a quadriplegic, have been among the first in the world to experience this radical and ultimately successful procedure, conducted by Dr. Carlos Lima in Portugal.

Stem cells are the basic building blocks of the human body, and have the unique ability to change into any type of human cell. Adult stem cells are present in our own body in several areas including bone marrow, the liver, and in our upper nasal passage. It is these nose cells that Dr. Lima uses to help his patients.

Laura Dominguez, originally from San Antonio, Texas, was sixteen in 2001 when she was involved in a car accident that crushed her spine and left her paralyzed from the neck down. She and her mother heard about the procedure, and Laura flew to Portugal to become just the tenth person in the world to undergo the surgery. Dr. Lima extracted nose cells from Laura and transplanted them into her spinal cord.

Regeneration is slow, but within six months she was able to feel sensation down to her abdomen. An MRI showed that the spinal cord injury itself was indeed healing. By 2004, Laura was able to move her legs on her own and walk with assistance. She hopes to be walking unassisted by 2006.

Susan Fajt of Austin, Texas experienced similar results. She was also involved in a car accident that left her a paraplegic, and started the treatment under Dr. Lima in June 2003. By 2004, she was able to walk on her own with the use of braces. In total, the procedure has helped over 26 people.

If you have received a spinal cord injury as a result of a car accident or an accident at work, you could be facing years of mounting medical bills and lost work due to someone else’s negligence. Don’t become a financial victim as well. Contact the spinal cord injury experts at Jim S. Adler & Associates. Our team of attorneys has experience in many different aspects of medical law, and we can help you get the compensation you deserve. Before you sign any insurance papers, agreements, or claims, talk to us first for a free case review. We’ll make sure that you and your rights are protected.