You thought my autism was hurting me and that you needed to remove it, but you did not understand that it is a neurological difference and fear caused you to behave with desperation. ~ Emma on the topic of the three stem cell treatments we did in 2010 Every now and then people find this blog through a site that promotes stem cell treatments in Central America. In our long and twisted journey since Emma was diagnosed with autism, stem cell treatments were something we once hoped would help our daughter. It is a decision I deeply regret. People ask me whether I think it may have helped her. I do not. People have wondered whether the tremendous strides Emma has made are not directly related to those stem cell treatments. They are not. I can say this with assurance. If you want to learn more about how Emma is communicating, click on this link. The stem cell treatments put Emmas life in danger. We have no way of knowing what we may have exposed her to because of those treatments. For the rest of our lives we will not know if the stem cell treatments harmed her. We will … Continue reading →

By Tanya Lewis, Staff Writer Published: 01/24/2014 07:10 AM EST on LiveScience For decades, doctors have been treating leukemia patients by transplanting stem cells from people with healthy bone marrow. But even though transplants can be a fairly effective treatment, there aren't enough tissue donors to treat every leukemia patient. Now, researchers are taking the first steps toward making bone marrow in a lab: They are growing stem cells in a setting that mimics the natural environment of bone marrow. Leukemia is a cancer that starts in the bone marrow, the soft tissue inside bones that produces blood cells. The researchers' goal is to create artificial bone marrow that is capable of growing blood stem cells outside the body, said study researcher Cornelia Lee-Thedieck, of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) in Germany. Such stem cells could then be used to treat leukemia patients. But creating bone marrow in a lab isn't easy. "Bone marrow is very complex, with many, many different cell types, molecules, proteins," Lee-Thedieck said. What's more, the stem cells that could be used to treat patients can only grow and keep their properties in an environment that closely mimics real human bone marrow. [5 Crazy Technologies … Continue reading →

A LITTLE girl from Coventry is seriously ill and needs the publics help in finding a matching blood stem cell donor. Rhiane Francois, 7, was sadly diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia last September and has undergone several rounds of chemotherapy. Once her chemotherapy treatment has finished, she is likely to need a stem cell donation to save her life. For many blood cancer patients a blood stem cell donation is their only chance of survival, but only half of the people diagnosed in the UK find a matching donor. Rhiane, her family and friends are working with Delete Blood Cancer UK to encourage people to register as potential stem cell donors and are holding an event at the Belgrade Theatre this Saturday to tell people about becoming a donor and registering those who are interested in joining the registry. The event will take place from 10am-4pm. Anyone in good general health between the ages of 18-55 can register as a potential stem cell donor and pre-registration is possible from the age of 17. When the family were told about Rhiane being diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia, obviously we had mixed emotions, said Natalie Francois, Rhianes aunt. You don't expect a … Continue reading →

Glenn Ellis *With a rise in diagnosed cases and a sea of conflicting information, autism is a condition that leaves many parents terrified. Yet affected families have every reason to be hopeful about the future. Today, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, roughly 1 in 88 children are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders, or ASDs, and its four to five times more likely to occur in boys than in girls. An almost fivefold jump in schoolchildren diagnosed with autism between 1993 and 2003 prompted some authorities and politicians to proclaim that we were in the midst of an autism epidemic. We also know that some of the increased prevalence is due to changes in the way we diagnose autism. This includes increased recognition of less severely affected individuals. Experts believe that Autism presents itself during the first three years of a persons life. The condition is the result of a neurological disorder that has an effect on normal brain function, affecting development of the persons communication and social interaction skills. Autism has become dramatically more common over time. We cant pin the increase on a single cause. However, weve identified a number of risk factors. Older parents, … Continue reading →

Emergency Care at Methodist Charlton Medical Center in Dallas, Texas A bump on the head, a headache, a bloody nose no big deal, right? Not necessarily. Emergency medicine physician Jeff Butterfield, MD, discusses when these ... By: Methodist Health System … Continue reading →

Stroke seminar credited with saving two lives Hundreds receive no-cost health screenings; more scheduled later this year. WRITTEN BY : Greg Waskul, Contributor DOWNEY - Two lives were saved and many other individuals with life-threatening high blood pressure were identified at the first local Primary Stroke Prevention Seminar of the year, which drew an overflow crowd of 300 people to the Rio Hondo Event Center Wednesday. The centerpiece of the seminar was a compelling, powerful and yet easy-to-understand 45-minute presentation by RTH Stroke Foundation President and noted stroke educator Deborah Massaglia that was meant to inspire the audience to strike out stroke in their lives. Following her presentation, attendees were provided with free carotid artery and blood pressure screenings. "We gave 290 carotid artery screenings and more than 250 blood pressure screenings," said RTH Stroke Foundation Executive Director Guy Navarro. "Two individuals were detected with a significant narrowing of their carotid arteries, and dozens of individuals with detected with high blood pressure exceeding 140/90. We will follow up with all these people to help them get the treatment they need to help prevent a stroke." In a doctor's office, the free screenings provided at Wednesday's seminar would cost nearly $150,000. … Continue reading →