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| Brave girl's flight of hope to China |
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| Batten Disease | |||
| Mittwoch, 19. Juli 2006 um 08:00 Uhr | |||
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There are no translations available. Sourse: Newsquest Media Group Newspapers A five-year-old girl with a rare disease is to have pioneering stem cell surgery in China. Sacha Skinner, of Firle Road, Brighton, will have ten million stem cells injected into her spinal column once a week during her month-long stay in Shenyang, northern China. Her family hopes the experimental treatment could reverse the effects of Batten Disease, which affects the nervous system and has left her unable to walk or talk without help. The disease affects one-in-30,000 children born in the UK and there is no cure. Without treatment Sacha, who was diagnosed with the disease last July, is not expected to live beyond the age of 12. While researching the disease on the internet Sacha's mother, Annette Dacosta, made contact with a Swedish woman whose son has already had stem cell treatment in China. She visited her earlier this month and was heartened by the progress the boy had made. Ms Dacosta, 37, said: "This is the first time I have heard of a child showing signs of improvement anywhere in the world. They are not huge changes but all his nurses and his mother have noticed a definite improvement which is very exciting and encouraging." Ms Dacosta will fly out with Sacha on August 12, and will return to the UK a fortnight later when Sacha's father, Neil Skinner, arrives. Blood stem cells, which have been taken from umbilical cords with the consent of new mothers, will be injected into Sacha's spinal column and will work their way through the blood stream to the brain, where it is hoped they will start to repair the damage done by Batten Disease. Sacha may have to travel back to China for more treatment if it proves successful. She was accepted for brain surgery in America but was unable to have the operation after her seizures became worse. Her condition has gradually deteriorated and last month she had a tube fitted to her stomach to allow her mum to give her fluids and medicine. Earlier this year Sacha was recognised for her courage in The Argus Achievement Awards. Ms Dacosta said: "Sacha is still taking food orally but only just. Her swallowing mechanism is going and we have to puree everything. "I am feeling really positive about the treatment. I don't feel nervous at the moment but I might do on the plane over there. "Sacha isn't going to have brain surgery which I was worried about and this isn't as invasive. "I'm looking forward to the future whereas before I just didn't think we had any hope." The treatment is being funded by Hove businessman Chris Weatherstone who donated £10,000 to Sacha's family after reading of her plight in The Argus. Ms Dacosta said: "We are so grateful to Chris. Without him none of this would be possible."
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| Zuletzt aktualisiert am Sonntag, 21. Dezember 2008 um 11:20 Uhr |