Family hopes reverse stroke treatment will help their Joel

Topics: disability, reverse stroke, toowoomba, united states

AN INJECTION that could repair brain damage suffered 23 years ago sounded at first to be a bit like magic dust to Toowoomba mum Coralie Graham.

But intense investigation and a substantial financial commitment have her convinced there is a good chance a procedure popularly known as a reverse stroke will remove the fog shrouding her son Joel Shepherd's mind.

Mr Shepherd was three-and-a-half years old when complications arising from gastroenteritis caused fluid to put pressure on his brain.

He was extremely fortunate to survive, but did not escape brain damage that has left him in need of 24-hour care.

His mother, who has worked as a nurse as well as a psychologist, was fascinated to see a 60 minutes report in which a stroke victim in the United States had her symptoms reversed by a procedure known as perispinal etanercept.

It involved injecting the drug etanercept, used in treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, into a large blood vessel at the base of the patient's neck.

"I know that Joel kind of lives in this fog," Ms Graham said.

"Sometimes you will see him out of the fog and you will see just glimpses that he absolutely understands."

Ms Graham hopes the procedure will reduce inflammation on her son's brain injury and restore some brain function.

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Family hopes reverse stroke treatment will help their Joel