Kochi: Stem cell therapy boon to cerebral palsy patient

Kochi: Stem cell therapy  has given new life to a Kochi-based  female cerebral palsy  patient. Remya Prabhu, 20,  from Mattancherry, who was  dependent on others for  all her daily activities,  can now manage herself after she underwent the innovative ‘autologous bone marrow stem cells therapy’  at the Neurogen Brain and Spine Institute, Mumbai last year.

The  girl  can now walk and even climb stairs,  speak with more clarity and also sing.  “We are happy to see Remya become  an independent person.   Stem cell therapy brings life-changing improvements to the patients. She underwent stem cell therapy along with a customised rehabilitation programme. She was given exercises that would help her improve her balance, walking, stair-climbing, cognition, posture and grip,”  Dr. Nandini Gokulchandran, deputy director, Neurogen Brain and Spine Institute,   told reporters in Kochi on Friday.  The patient and her parents also attended the press conference.  

Remya suffered from severe jaundice on the third day of  her birth followed by frequent episodes of seizures.

From then, her parents have been trying various treatments  and medications.  It was in August last year that she was taken to the Neurogen Brain and Spine Institute.

Sandhya Prabhu, her mother, said, “after the treatment,  great improvement  was seen during the follow-up checkup in November. Her posture, weight-bearing and waking have  improved. Behavioural problems, understanding, attention, movements and fine motor skills have improved much,” she said.  The therapy sessions have  to be continued to attain further improvement.

Stem cell therapy is a  simple and safe procedure. “Stem cells are taken from the patient’s own bone marrow and  injected back in the  spinal fluid after processing. Hence, there is no rejection, no side effects, making it a completely safe procedure,” added Dr. Nandini Gokulchandran.