P A T I E N T E X P E R I E N C E – A T A X I A

NAME: Robert Frank Flynn

AGE: 49

COUNTRY: USA

DIAGNOSIS: Ataxia III (Machado-Joseph Disease). Robert has hereditary ataxia which he inherited from his maternal family.

REASON FOR COMING TO TREATMENT: Robert's condition was progressivly worsening and caused a decrease in his standard of living. The primary concern was his physical abilities: He was unable to walk and had great trouble standing. His speech was also affected making it difficult for him to communicate. After his brother received treatments earlier this year and had good results, Robert also decided to come.

TREATMENT: Umbilical Cord Stem Cell and Nerve Growth Factor Injections with Rehabilitation Therapy.

START OF TREATMENT: October 8, 2007

See Robert's clips combined and subtitled into one video (and streaming) on Vimeo and YouTube.

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BEFORE THE TREATMENT: Robert was diagnosed in 1993 with Machado-Joseph Disease, which he inherited from his mother’s side of the family. The disease started with slight balance impairments, and grew progressively worse over the years. Right before he came for treatment, he was not able to walk without assistance and even with assistance it was still difficult for him. His balance in general was very poor, he was only able to stand for a brief period of time and he had to lock his knees while standing. He was easily fatigued, his breathing was very shallow and he slept for long periods every day. Making day to day life more difficult, his condition made it difficult for him to speak and communicate with other people.

Watch videos of Robert Before the treatment:

October 10, 2007, Talking about his symptoms
October 10, 2007, Talking about his family history of the disease
October 10, 2007, Attempting to stand

Watch videos of Robert during the treatment:

October 23, 2007, Early improvements in standing by himself
October 23, 2007, Physical therapy
October 23, 2007, Talking about the improvements he has had up to this point

AFTER THE TREATMENT: Robert's condition gradually improved throughout the course of his treatment and by the end it had made a noticeable impact on his quality of life. His balance and coordination had improved to the point where he was able to stand for a significant amount of time by himself, up to a minute and a half. This allowed him to do little things in daily life more easily. For example he was now able to stand in the shower without holding onto anything and move the soap from one hand to the other. Another improvement that had a big impact was that his speech had become clearer than and not as labored as before. Breathing was also easier for him, which allowed him to speak for a longer time and have more energy.

Watch videos of Robert after the treatment:

November 8, 2007, Standing up by himself
November 8, 2007, Standing in place for over 1 minute
November 8, 2007, Talking about his improvements 1
November 8, 2007, Talking about his improvements 2