New Zealand Paraplegic Man Sees Hope In Upcoming, Expensive Stem Cell Treatment

New Zealand paraplegic Ashley Thomson is about to travel a long way, and spend a lot of money, to receive a stem cell treatment he hopes will restore his ability to walk. Thompson can move his arms, which has made life a little easier for him. His goal is to raise $120,000 to pay for the controversial stem cell treatment this September in Delhi, India. A clinic there run by Geeta Shroff claims to have successfully treated Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, ALS, and spinal cord damage. Patients have said they see improvement, but critics say it’s only a placebo effect.

By Finbarr Bunting, “First Kiwi to try stem cell treatment”, © 2009 Fairfax New Zealand Limited, 7-26-2009