The information you are about to read was originally written
January 11, 2013, but wasn’t posted until Easter day, March 31, 2013.
In early 2011, the Lord opened my eyes to stem cells and the
incredible gift of healing that they can bring. About 9 months after learning
about personal stem cell surgery, I made the decision that this was something
Gabriella needed to do.
In December, the girls and I headed back east and then south for
an "All Girls Trip". We visited some friends, Gabriella underwent her
first stem cell surgery, and then we flew to Disney World for a few days.
Gabriella had her first stem cell surgery using her own bone
marrow,
removed from her hips, on 12/12/12.
Her right hip, not shown, had an extraction site the size of a needle... no swelling, no bruising, no pain.
This left side of her hip had a hole the size of a needle, however there was swelling the size of a Mento candy. This is what the site looked like on day 2, post surgery. The bruising was the diameter of just over an inch. There is still bruising three months later on this side.
Three hours post surgery, you would not have known she even had surgery.
We intentionally did not tell any family (including siblings, aunts and uncles, and grandparents), teachers, or doctors about her stem cell surgery... in hopes they
would start seeing her progress themselves.
Gabriella was adopted at age 3 ½ with ZERO balance standing.
ZERO! She could sit and crawl but she would fall multiple times a day,
regardless of the over-protective mama I am. Her receptive and expressive
language was exceptionally delayed.
Diagnosis: Severe cerebellar atrophy
Her main issues at the time of her adoption due to her
under-developed cerebellum included:
She was unable to sit or crawl without falling, unable to stand at
all, unable to walk unless holding two “focused” adult hands… she could
understand some Chinese (because she was living with a Chinese foster family
prior to adoption), and we think she had about 5 Chinese words in her vocab.
Her speech was exceptionally unclear.
Fast forward to the week before we left…
What
could she do PRE stem cells:
By the grace of Almighty God we saw significant
improvements since adoption through fasting, prayer, organic food, eliminating
wheat and corn from her diet other than a couple pizza meals each week, taking high-end
supplements including the most notable (Univera Essentials which is an
all-in-one meal in a 3oz. bottle with immediate absorption) among many, many
others, and refusing additional immunizations. Gabriella is making remarkable
gains. She did get good physical therapy at school for about an hour in
preschool and she was getting up to 30 minutes of physical therapy once a week
in kindergarten.
·
She went from zero seconds standing in
7/2010 to 12/2012 (pre-stem cells)… standing on average for 30 seconds (and
sometimes a minute or two)… and had stood ONCE for a miraculous 6 minutes and
25 seconds (timed and videoed… thank you Lord!)
·
She has begun to be able to take SUPER
baby steps (one or two steps at a time before falling)… HOWEVER, she took 9 steps
prior to stem cells (unassisted)… Please see her video: “Gabriella Walks!” via
YouTube.com … this is the direct link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJnlVS6L96A
·
She can ride a 16” bike with regular
training wheels, she can use her walker unassisted, and she can get dressed by
herself and almost get undressed by herself (dresses are still hard).
She can use the restroom unassisted and bathe without me having the fear of her
drowning.
·
She had learned all her ABC’s and
their sounds two weeks home from China… before the neurologist saw her. She
learned to blend sounds within 3 months of that and was reading 3 letter words
within 4 months.
·
By 12/12/12 she could read sentences
in “Bob Books”… at the Kindergarten level… and some first grade level books…
though it took more than 15 minutes to read those few pages. She could spell
and write her name and she could talk and understand at about a 2 year old
level.
What
did I hope from stem cells for my 5 yr. 11 mo. old daughter:
·
Gabriella started throwing massive
fits the month prior to stem cells… not sure why, but I believe it’s because
she is in a special needs class where 4 of the 6 kids throw fits daily… she
started to begin to show “autistic” behaviors in her movements… not something
that she has demonstrated prior to November 2012. She also knew we were going
to Disney World soon (something we did 2 days after her surgery).
·
Gabriella repeats herself over and
over and over and over again. She might ask “Mama, what’s for dinner?” a
hundred times or more a day from the time she wakes up until the time she eats
dinner. I would REALLY like this annoying behavior to stop.
·
Gabriella asks questions in general
over and over again… even seconds after she asked the first question.
·
Her balance has obviously gotten
better, however, we hope to see increased improvement.
·
We hope to see her begin to walk.
·
We hope to see her begin to talk more,
with sentences, better sentence structure, and read more fluently while remembering
what she read.
What
has happened POST stem cells for Gabriella the FIRST MONTH:
·
Gabriella (and her newly adopted
sister of 6 months- age 2 yrs. 11 mo.) both began speaking in sentences 2 weeks
post stem cells.
·
Gabriella’s reading has increased in
speed and accuracy. She is reading phonetically.
·
Gabriella can actually now read THREE books
in the time it took her to read one.
·
Gabriella took 10 consecutive steps on
week 4 post stem cells, walked up the stairs yesterday holding the rail with
one hand… one step at a time (not alternating feet). Today (1/11/13), she walked up the stairs with one
hand and alternating her feet.
·
She is migrating more around the home…
crossing hallway walls and corners to get to the bathroom or her room.
·
She has greater balance… she stands
and talks to me much more often and for longer periods of time, even removing
clothing such as a jacket or shirt.
·
Today her physical therapist at school
said the following: “I can see she’s
been practicing her outlining – it’s getting more steady.” (uh…. no, she’s not
practicing much at home)
·
Her recent “fits” that began in
November are now subsiding.
·
She has GAINED WEIGHT… Holy cow… this
is huge… she weighed 25 pounds as a 3 ½ year old coming home from China and
COULD NOT GAIN WEIGHT for an entire YEAR. The second year and a half home, she
gained 12 pounds. SHE HAS GAINED 3 POUNDS POST STEM CELLS… in ONE MONTH!
·
And, my favorite… she is no longer
repeating herself like she did. She NOW might ask me 5 times in a day “What’s
for dinner?”
What
has happened POST stem cells for Gabriella THREE MONTHS later:
·
Gabriella can now read the same Bob
books that took her about 15 minutes to read, pre stem cells, in two to four
minutes.
·
She continues to want to read several
books in one setting, a minimum of three books each sitting.
·
She is able to read these books now without
having to sound out the same words on the same page. Once she knows a word, she
generally knows it for the rest of the book. She has at least 10 words in her
reading knowledge that she can now see and say rather than actually sound out
and read.
·
She is beginning to ask questions… “Why?”
is her new favorite question.
·
She can stand AND DANCE in place… even
for minutes.
·
When her sister whacks her, she is
often able to tell me how, why and where.
·
She is now able to speak with
pronouns: he, she , you, me
·
She is negotiating more productively
with her newly turned 3-year old sister… there are fewer fights and fits.
As
of 1/11/2013, What do we anticipate in the near future:
·
Gabriella will walk unassisted… no
longer needing her walker.
·
Gabriella will talk and understand at
a 3 year old level by summertime.
·
Gabriella will fluently read at a
beginning first grade level by summertime.
The Lord says in Jeremiah 33:3, “Call to me and I
will answer you.” (NKJV) The Lord has
been healing our daughter for many months… healing in a way that I can really
watch it happen. Stem cells have helped
this healing manifest even quicker.
“Make
straight paths for my feet so that what is lame
may
not be dislocated but rather healed.”
Hebrews
12:13 (NKJV)
