NAME: Liam Michael Hayward

AGE: 3 weeks at start of treatment

COUNTRY: USA

DIAGNOSIS: Liam suffered a brain injury at birth. His mother has a condition called Vaso Previa, in which the umbilical cord forms at a lower point on the placenta. During birth, Liam severed the cord resulting in the loss of 55% of his blood. He was revived after almost fourteen minutes, but the oxygen deprivation he suffered caused brain damage. His specific condition is hypoxic escemic encephalopathy.

TREATMENT: 3 umbilical cord stem cell and nerve growth factor injections with rehabilitation therapy.

START OF TREATMENT: 20 August 2007

REASON FOR COMING TO TREATMENT: The patient's parents are hoping that early intervention will minimize the severity of the sypmtoms he may suffer in later life, specifically the parents are worried about cerebral palsy-like symptoms such as loss of voluntary muscle control and impaired learning. His parents have already witnessed some involuntary arm movement and clenching of the fist and they feel that any small improvements they can offer will benefit Liam in the long term.

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

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BEFORE THE TREATMENT: Liam's young age makes accurate prognosis difficult. In comparison to healthy babies of his age, Liam exhibits a lack of awareness of his surroundings, and is not as reactive to stimuli. His mother, who works in the medical field, has described him as being "Flaccid" and "Floppy," as well as saying that he tends to arch his back and stare blankly. Liam's American pediatrician also reported stiffness in the legs. A major concern is Liam's sleeping behaviour - he can sleep for up to 23 hours at a time.

WATCH LIAM'S VIDEOS BEFORE AND DURING THE TREATMENT:

• 20 August 2007 - Pre-treatment interview (Steve - father)
  
• 28 August 2007 - Mid-treatment interview (Liz - mother)
  
• 31 August 2007 - Mid-treatment interview (Liz)
  

AFTER THE TREATMENT: Liam's mother said he exhibited improvements in his responsiveness, awareness and in the relaxation of his legs and fist. Liam's mental ability appeared to improve, evident in his increased perception of sensory stimuli - he tended to follow movement with his eyes more during the later stages of treatment. She said that improvements are hard to register due to the rapid development of babies his age, "But other people have said that he's changed."

WATCH LIAM'S VIDEOS AFTER THE TREATMENT:

• 5 September 2007 - Final interview part 1
  
• 5 September 2007 - Final interview part 2
  
• 5 September 2007 - Final interview part 3