I remember going to elementary school with my older sister, and she told us one day that one of her classmates had sickle cell anemia, a genetic disorder that causes severe pain and shortens the person’s life by decades. There was no cure for it at that time.
Today, things are changing; just last week, the Texas legislature, which is not in session currently, held a special hearing to learn more about adult stem cell successes, including one boy born with sickle cell anemia who was cured by the adult stem cells from his little brother’s umbilical cord!
“It was told to me that point blank that this disease is not curable. There’s nothing you can do but give him medication every day for the rest of his life,” his mother Darlene Davis said.
But when Joseph was 2 years old, his little brother, Isaac, was born. And, along with a new playmate came a new hope.
The blood inside Isaac’s umbilical cord had adult stem cells that doctors transplanted to Joseph.
Only weeks later, Joseph was healed.
Researchers call it a miracle cure with no controversy involved.
Texas Alliance for Life (including my wonderful wife) lobbied hard last session for Texas to fund an umbilical cord blood bank, and they succeeded convincing the legislators, who earmarked $5 million to the program. However, much, much more can be done:
Texas already funds research for the cells. Just last year, it approved the creation of the Texas Cord Blood Bank that accepts donations, but survivors of transplants say more could be done. Experts say many hospitals do not collect the donations yet. Fewer than 10 actually participate.
On Wednesday speaker, Tom Craddick ordered an Interim Charge hearing. The hearing began for the Texas House Appropriations Subcommittee on Adult Stem Cell Research at 10 a.m. It is the first hearing to call for a House Interim report on the support of adult stem cell research and treatments.
Adult stem cells are often seen as a safer alternative to embryonic stem cells because the cells are taken from the blood of a living person. The cells have also shown to be more effective in medical research.
The last sentence is a big understatement, to say the least: Adult stem cells are being used in over 70 different treatments, of which sickle cell anemia is just one, and this is with still a small number of hospitals participating! Embryonic stem cells, on the other hand, in addition to killing an innocent human being, have resulted in zero treatments, as in none, nowhere, helping not even one person.
The little boy and his parents speak:
“I was born with sickle cell anemia, but now I’m cured because my younger brother Isaac saved my life with his cord blood. I don’t have to go to the hospital or take shots. I can do what any other 8-year-old can do, and I’m very happy about that,” said Joseph Davis, II.
Davis’ donation came from his younger brother’s umbilical cord.
“Today, my son is standing here, standing here today, healed from sickle cell disease. I can’t tell everybody to get on this behind me right now but I know from last year to looking at this year, it’s happening. People are getting to know about adult stem cell, umbilical cord blood. This is why I love what I do, I don’t want to see this blessing for myself, I want to see the blessing for everybody,” said Darlene Davis, mother of adult stem cell recipient.
KVUE news has the video of the family talking about being cured.
Good post, sweetheart! I was at the press conference Wednesday morning where those two precious boys spoke and was very impressed to learn about Joseph’s cure. I later sat in on the House Appropriations Committee hearing, at which many Texas doctors spoke about their ongoing adult stem cell research. It’s exciting to see the many advances underway with these little cells. Let’s make Texas a national leader in groundbreaking and effective stem cell medicine; let California waste their billions on embryonic stem cells. We’ll look for the real cures.