CNN reported a dramatic change in the autologous cord blood treatment of a little American girl, Gracie, who suffered from autism.
Gracie's mother believes that her daughter's autism affected their family's daily life by about 75% before receiving autologous cord blood treatment, but after treatment, the impact was only 10%.
Born in 2010, Gracie's parents observed some of her unusual behaviors, including inability to focus, difficulty communicating, frequent screaming, and repeated kicks and punches, that plagued the family, and when she was two years old and three months old, doctors diagnosed autism.
It wasn't until 2015, when Gracie was 5 years old, that the family saw a glimmer of hope in helping her.
01 Autologous cord blood makes autistic girls better
Gracie's mother received an email informing duke that it was working on a clinical program called "Autologous Cord Blood Stem Cells for Autism in Children." Her parents immediately agreed to join the project, willing to make any attempt to help their daughter.
Gracie became one of 25 children recruited by Duke University's "Autologous Cord Blood Stem Cells for Autism in Children" program. Professor Joanne Kurtzberg of the Department of Pediatrics at Duke University, the lead expert of the project and a global leader in the treatment of autism with autologous cord blood, made the following observations after completing the project:
1. The project verified the safety of autologous cord blood stem cells in the treatment of autism in children;
2. A certain cell or substance in autologous umbilical cord blood has the effect of reducing inflammation and rebuilding brain connections;
3. In this project, 25 children were transfused with autologous cord blood, and in the follow-up and evaluation after 6 months, most of the children experienced behavioral improvement; some children improved their language, enhanced communication skills, and reduced bad repetitive behaviors.
Professor Joanne Kurtzberg believes that the use of autologous cord blood to treat autism is very promising in the long run.
Gracie's mother said her daughter's autism affected their family's daily lives by about 75 percent before she participated in the project, but only 10 percent remained after receiving autologous cord blood treatment. Grace's father said his daughter's learning curve had improved significantly. "It's the effect of autologous cord blood" or "natural improvement in condition," and they agree that both conditions exist.
Gracie's father believes that although there are still a small number of previous autistic traits in his daughter, the most important thing is that the symptoms have improved significantly, they have become emotional, their social situation has improved, and they no longer seem so scared in the crowd.
Gracie's mother said, "The most positive thing is that we met new friends, and when I told my new friends that Gracie had autism, they were shocked and said that if I hadn't told her personally, they would never have known that Gracie was an autistic child."
Gracie's sister said, "My sister has changed a lot, she used to not talk, often kicked and punched people, but now she has completely changed, she has become cute and calm." ”
Facing the camera, Gracie also told everyone clearly and peacefully, "I like to play with new friends, and I also like to play with my sister." ”