A8-The'Cahaflun Chamrpion, Ttivsday, April 11', 2006 ww.w eosfiowersuopcoin 487 Laurier Ave. OMN T 882881 Baby in China for special stem ceil treatment By Stephanie Thiessen CANADIAN CHAMPION STAFF Nine montbs ago, Julie and Kerry Teskey found tbem- selves staning ai deatb through the eyes of their newborn son. Baby Dylan was born with a brain injury and the doctors didn't expect bim 10 survive. His littie body was twisted like a pretzel. He couldn't move bis arms or legs mucb, and even changing him was difficuit. So after two months of visiting Dylan in the bospital, the Teskeys took bim home to spend bis final days surrounded by his family. Eacb day that Dylan valiantly fougbt to byve, bis parents wondered if it would be bis last. "For the firsi îwo months we were in a state of moumîing. We didn't expect him 10 survive," Kerry said. But Dylan bad otber ideas nin mmd, and wasn't about to give up s0 easily, Soon, be began sbowing signs of improvemeni. "eswitcbed gears from a palliative mode of thinking to, 'Ne have to do every- tbing we cani t0 help bim'," Kerrv recalled. Doeiors told the Teskeys that Dylans brain injury - from a lack of oxygen and blood to bis brain - is most likely going to, presenît itself as a moderate-to-severe formi of cerebral palsy, Julie explained. Symptoms are already evîdent, and Dylans parents fear be migbî not be able to walk or feed bimself. Fortunately, Dylan bas sbown a lot of o'growtb in tbe past montbs and is a love- 'table cbild wbo likes to smile. n Hes wurking witb a developmental specialist, and bes starting t0 move around more. Seizures tbat used to wreak havoc on bis litîle body are now controlled with medication. But bis arms and hands are still tight, and be can't even bold a boule. His devel- opment is nowhere near wbere it should be. Sbortly after bringing bîm home, Julie began searcbing on tbe Web for people in similar situations, and she found them. Soon, sbe was cbatîing witb parents of brain-injured cbildren about tbe routes tbey were taking. Tbere were two that piqued the Teskeys' interest - byperbaric oxygen treatments and stem celI injec- tions. Tbeir first step was te, try hyperbanec oxygen treatments. Tbey were cbeaper than the stem celI procedure - about $100 per treatment, witb about 40 ses- sions required - and could be done local- ly Unfortunately, tbey didn't yield the desîred resulîs, Julie saîd. Tbe stem celI procedure - along with a trip to China, wbere it would be per- formed -seemed like the only viable option. Julie lefi with Dylan for a grueling 18- hour lligbt March 29, and will return April 26. "l'm excîîed. l'm looking forward to seeîng the resulîs," Julie saîd days before deparîing. Essentially, stem celis don't yet bave a specific funiction, and have the capacîîy t0 tumn into any kind of celI in the body, sucb as blood, hearî, or - in Dylanfs case- brain celîs. So, wben înjecîed. tbey have~ the poten- tial to replace damaged or dead celîs. The procedure basn'i yet been approved in Canada or the United States. Rîght now, Dylans ai the Nanshan Hospital in Shenzhen, whîcb is just nortb of Hong Kong. lies receivîng regular injections. along witb pbysiotberapy. Accordîng t0 the blog heing kept by Julie, aIl is goîng fairly well so fa. The pnice tag for the procedune and tnip tEX China? About $20.000. Stein celis are a buzzword tliese days, and can stir up cluite a controversy. What most of tbe disagreements are about is where the stem celîs are harvested froni. There are about a dozen sources, Kerr said, încludîng umbîlical cords, bone mar- row, skîn and - wbat some people dis- agree witb - buman embryos. Kerry said îbey were able to specîfy that the stem celîs be umbilical. This is basically a clinical trial, Kerny said. There îsn't mucb in the way of statîs- tics to let tbem know bow often its suc- cessful, but "theres lots of aneedotal evi- dence," be said. "'Ne don't expeet miracles, but obvi- ously that would be welcome," Kerry said. "If hes (Dylan) able to move bis arms, if bers able t0 feed bimself and be able te bave somre mobîlity witb bis legs, I'd feel very grateful." Dylan's Canadian doctors don't have mucb t0 say either way about the stem celI injections, Julie said. 'li's s0 new A lot don't know much about it," she said, addîng Dylans neurol- ogist said it couldn't hurt. So, the couple continues t0 hope for the besî. As for Kerryý bes running the bouse- bold - the couple also bas a two-year-oîd son and a 13-year-old daugbîer - on bis own until Julie and Dylan reîumn. '1 miss îbem terribly," be said. Sîephanie Thiessen can be reached ait sthiessen@milîoncanadianchampion.tom. HOLDING OUT HOPE: Julie Teskey has taken her son Dylan, stem cell treatment that he can't gel here. GRAHAM PAINE / CANADIAN CHAMPION who has a brain injury, to China for W7COGECQ Clogeco Cable Channel -14 TruIy Local TalevSIO i 01m Piuged i EXTRA 1 R0m ain Hlii Council TA:0 www.cogeco.ca 6 AXn OhXimst TV Big 4 00pm - 6 Xpm RlugdIn' EXTRA NORTH HAITON STUDIO 8 pîc1 Aut ' Exprt 6 i0m 00p TR1m Plu ~En Laurier Plaza XXXI 3 20tI Oorn Mifion cXuinci 73Xpm 500 Laurier Avenue 10OOXpm Mdngt Pluiediloi EXTRA Milton, ON L9T 4R3 9oo 905-878-9306 TIN" Programming Schpdmilp - e ' 1. n W Twatl 1 T0pn ifnF Mion Cianni Mani 27ARM PWcin' EXTRA Miefne Skaig Cluti Xi~amnX 2:OOPM - 5Ip FRutie PI9M EXTRA 4OPM t Otpni Riuggen In' EXTRA 6 OtOPM- ItIPM RlugeXi' EXTRA 8 OtPM Acon FZ Skafil TiOpm 1itiePM MidnigtRPugliel en EXTRA PAO Spots JrA Hockey laXyXTom 1Ran T aRAiS vs SToOT Grn 6 or T -Midnight Plugied e' EXTRA E TOPo 8 XXPM n ild PXie In! 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