Patients who have been paralyzed from 4 years to 22 years, had their own bone marrow stem cells extracted from their hip bone and transplanted into their spinal cord, resulting in restored bodily functions at Luis Vernaza Hospital in Guayaquil, Ecuador. Dr. Louis Geffner presented the report on September 17 at the 2007 Congress of Neurological Surgeons Annual Meeting in San Diego. Of the 25 patients who underwent the procedure and provided follow up, 15 gained the ability to stand up, 10 could walk on parallel bars with braces, 7 could walk without braces and 5 could walk with crutches. Three recovered full bladder control and 10 regained some sexual function. There were no side effects or adverse reactions at all, because the patients' own stem cells were used, nullifying the tissue rejection issue. This study proves that bone marrow stem cells are safe and effective for spinal cord injury patients while increasing their quality of life. Despite this ground breaking progress which actor Christopher Reeve foretold would come, the media is reporting none of it because it involves adult stem cells.
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