Health Law

CO Girl's CP Reversed with Stem Cells

When Chloe Levine was born in a Colorao hospital she seemed to be a healthy, happy child with a life of opportunity and possbiilties ahead of her. However, by the time Chloe reached nine-months she was not at the same development level as her sister Shayla was at the same age. A fact that Chloe's parents quickly noticed.

According to her parents, Chloe's right hand was always clenched in a tight fist and she was unable to even hold her bottle. She wasn't able to crawl and instead would reportedly "shuffle" her body across the floor in a somewhat seated position.

It wasn't until just after Chloe's first birthday, that this Denver family realized their youngest daughter had experienced a stroke in utero. As a result of the stroke, Chloe developed cerebral palsy.

"A part of me just died," Jenny Levine, Chloe's mother, told reporters. "At that point there was no cure for her, no treatment other than therapies – speech, physical and occupational therapy for the next 18 years. As parents, that was not fine. We wanted her to have as normal a life as possible; we didn't want her to face a life of disability."

Stem Cells Give Family New Hope

Just when they felt at their most hopeless that their daughter would not lead the life they had so hoped for, the Levines remembered they had stored stem cells from Chloe's umbilical cord at the time of her birth.

For the past 40 years, stem cells from bone marrow have been widely used in medicine. They have helped treat blood diseases, cancers and immune disorders. Research shows that stem cells can jumpstart a person's immune system, particularly after chemotherapy.

Research has also shown in recent years that there are also advantages to using stem cells from your own umbilical cord. These cells are said to be younger and they have not been exposed to negative environmental factors like harmful chemicals. A child's body can also not reject these cells since they are their own.

Girl's Own Stem Cells Fight Off Cerebral Palsy

Not only were the Levines lucky in the fact that they had chosen to preserve Chloe's stem cells, but they also came across Dr. Joanne Kurtzberg, a professor of pediatrics and pathology at Duke University. During their time of need, Dr. Kurtzberg was conducting a study regarding children with cerebral palsy. He was conducting tests to see whether injecting infants with their own stem cells could help allieviate some of the life-altering changes that come with the disability. In 2008, Chloe received a 15-minute re-infusion of her stem cells.

Jenny and her husband claim that within four days, there was a noticeable difference in Chloe. Chloe's right side loosened up and her speech suddenly became more clear. She was even able to ride her toy tractor, which she hadn't even been able to pedal before.

Since this is a new treatment being administered, Kurtzberg says she's not sure how long the effects of cord blood will last on children like Chloe. Though she's hoping that it will last indefinitely. This would make it a treatment and God-send to infants who are born with cerebral palsy as the result of medical malpractice or a stroke, as was the case with Chloe.

Full post as published by Cerebral Palsy Law Blog on November 10, 2009 (boomark / email).