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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
Chinese treatment offers boy hope
Family raises funds so stem cells can battle cerebral palsy
DAVID LIPNOWSKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Enlarge Image
Parents Trevor Myshrall and Nadine Vasas play with son Gavin. The family is raising funds so the boy can receive treatment for his cerebral palsy in China.
Two-year-old Gavin Myshrall can't talk, walk, hold toys or eat regular food.
But help may come from halfway around the world for the child who was diagnosed with cerebral palsy shortly after birth.
Gavin's parents, Nadine Vasas and Trevor Myshrall, hope that a groundbreaking treatment using stem-cell therapy in China will help him gain enough control over his body to achieve some independence as he grows.
And they're not the only local people who are looking to China for the pricey treatment: another Winnipeg family whose child was treated there in recent months are so pleased they're thinking of returning.
Five-year-old Spencer Brasen can sometimes walk without leg braces since his treatment in December.
"There's hope," Gavin's father Trevor said on Friday from his home in Dugald.
"It's not something that's advertised in Canada yet, but it is definitely something. The evidence is there that it's working.
"There's a chance he can show some improvement. We know he won't walk out of there and be 100 per cent, but there's a chance he can get some improvement.
"For us, any improvement would be great."
His mother, Nadine, said "we love him and want to help him. He's just so cute.
"He is cognitively intact, and he is a very curious boy. But he is recognizing his own limitations and it is frustrating him."
After Gavin was born by caesarean section on Nov. 1, he was diagnosed with both cerebral palsy and epilepsy.
Nadine said she researched potential treatments on the Internet and found Beike Biotech, in Guangzhou, China, which uses stem cells from umbilical-cord blood.
She said Gavin will receive six injections of the stem cells and two more of his own stem cells taken from his bone marrow. His treatment is scheduled for Nov. 1 to Dec. 10.
The treatment is not available in North America, but researchers at the Medical College of Georgia announced earlier this month they are conducting the first trial approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that will study "whether an infusion of stem cells from umbilical-cord blood can improve the quality of life for children with cerebral palsy."
The researchers said that while no controlled clinical trials have been held and evidence is anecdotal, "previous studies have shown marked improvement in children with cerebral palsy about three months after an initial infusion of cord blood."
But the 40 days of treatment in China costs $40,000 including travel.
A Bud, Spud and Steak fundraiser to help cover the costs for a two-year-old with cerebral palsy to get treatment in China is being held on Saturday, March 6 from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Tijuana Club at Canad Inns Polo Park. To buy $15 tickets, go to www.gavinschanceforchange.com
Meanwhile, Winnipegger Chad Brasen said his child, Spencer, who also has cerebral palsy and turned five this week, has improved "quite a bit" with the treatment, which he had in December after the family raised funds for months.
"He was in swimming lessons last summer and the lifeguard had to hold him all the time," Brasen said.
"Now he goes through the pool by himself. And he could walk a little bit without (his leg braces), but he'd fall quite a bit. The other day, he got a plate of toast and walked to the living room without the braces.
"It was pretty amazing."
Brasen said they're thinking of going back to China for more treatment to see if Spencer can improve even more.
"We as parents have to do everything we can for these little guys," he said.
kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca
Facts about cerebral palsy:
Cerebral palsy is caused when the developing brain is damaged, affecting muscle co-ordination and body movement. It can develop from early pregnancy to about age three.
A person with a mild case of CP may have slight difficulty with movement or hand control, while a person with a severe case may have almost no muscle control and profound affects on movement and speech.
CP is not contagious, hereditary or life-threatening and the degree of physical disability does not indicate the level of intelligence.
About one out of every 500 babies has CP. Up to one in three premature babies has it. More than 50,000 Canadians have CP.
-- Source: Cerebral Palsy Association of Manitoba
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition March 5, 2010 A4
History
Updated on Friday, March 5, 2010 at 10:16 AM CST: A Bud, Spud and Steak fundraiser is being held on Saturday, March 6.
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