Are you or a loved one interested in receiving stem cell treatment? For free treatment information, please fill out our treatment form or email me don@repairstemcells.org and just put TREATMENT in the subject box.

Suzanne Penney's first battle was with breast cancer. Aggressive chemotherapy stopped the breast cancer in its tracks. Unfortunately, that same chemotherapy brought on another form of cancer- leukemia. Regular readers of this blog know that repair stem cells are usually a boon to leukemia patients and such was the case here:

When Suzanne Penney was diagnosed with leukemia after she battled breast cancer, she decided to undergo an injection of umbilical (repair) cord blood stem cells and the procedure saved her life.

But, today, as Penney recovers in the hospital, doctors tell her that her leukemia is in remission.


“It turns out that in the umbilical cord blood there are a large number of potent stem cells that give rise to bone marrow, Dr. Edward Ball told the television station.

“Some people are shocked that I haven't blamed God and chewed him out, Penney said. “But so many good things came out of having breast cancer, so something better must be ready to come out of this. . . . And attitude is so important when you're fighting a disease like cancer.

This is the second day in a row (see below) where a repair stem cell recipient credits "attitude" for some of their improvement- and I believe them. I think a good positive attitude enhances the power of repair stem cells and helps the body heal itself.  This is a good lesson for all of us- whether we are sick or fortunate enough to be healthy, we should strive to be positive in our lives.  

Click here to read the full story and watch Suzanne on video

Are you or a loved one interested in receiving stem cell treatment? For free treatment information, please fill out our treatment form or email me don@repairstemcells.org and just put TREATMENT in the subject box.

Regular readers of this blog know that stem cells are helping and have been helping leukemia patients for more than 20 years.  So why do we still read about deaths due to leukemia?  There are obviously multiple answers to that question.  However, one problem is a lack of bone marrow donors.  You see, to cure a leukemia patient, he/she will need a perfect match of bone marrow (stem cells) from a donor so the patient's body will not reject the stem cell transplant.  This perfect match sometimes comes from the patient's family, but often this is not the case.  Therefore, in most countries, there is a bone marrow donor registry program in which an organization tries to match up donors with people suffering from leukemia or lymphoma or other life threatening diseases that can be treated by stem cells.  In America, you can find more information on how to become a possible donor at http://www.marrow.org

Here is a little more information from that website:

Bone marrow transplant is a life-saving treatment for people with leukemia, lymphoma and many other diseases. First, patients undergo chemotherapy and sometimes radiation to destroy their diseased marrow. Then a donor's healthy blood-forming cells are given directly into the patient's bloodstream, where they can begin to function and multiply.

In order for a patient's body to accept these healthy cells, the donor's tissue type needs to match the patient's type as closely as possible. Patients who do not have a suitably matched donor in their family may search the NMDP Registry for an unrelated bone marrow donor or cord blood unit.

Here is a wonderful example of how by joining the bone marrow registry, you can save someone's life and make a life long friend:

Wicker, 33, discovered symptoms of leukemia in August 2002 when he felt fatigued trying to climb Mount St. Helens in Washington with some friends.

From there, it got worse.

"I went from what I thought was totally normal to not being able to walk up a set of stairs without my heart popping out of my chest," he said.

After his diagnosis the next month, Wicker traveled to Columbus, Ohio, for chemotherapy while waiting for a bone marrow match, thinking one would not prove too difficult to find. Instead, he received treatment every other month and found himself waiting.

Friends and co-workers participated in bone marrow blood drives but yielded no matches.

"It felt like a long time -- it was getting to the point where we were talking about the quality of life," Wicker said. "Without the transplant, I wasn't going to live."

Wicker received good news in March 2003 -- he had a match, and the transplant would take place April 3.

Click here to read the happy ending to this story


 And then click here to find out how you can join the registry and be a life long hero

Are you or a loved one interested in receiving stem cell treatment? For free treatment information, please fill out our treatment form or email me don@repairstemcells.org and just put TREATMENT in the subject box.

I can't say I am very surprised by this.  I know the magic of adult stem cells.  Let me take you back 3 months- you may remember I reported a story about two brothers with a rare skin condition called epidermolysis bullosa.  The youngest boy, Nate Liao, was believed to be the first person in the world to be treated with stem cells (cord blood stem cells) for this condition.

Well, the results are in.  It is now being reported that the stem cells are helping- immensely!:

At 2 years old, bright-eyed Nate Liao can finally wear a T-shirt.

It may not sound like much, but eight months ago, the fabric would have caused his fragile skin to blister and rub off entirely.

Nate was a world first in October when he received an experimental transplant at the University of Minnesota to treat a hereditary and fatal skin disease known as recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa, or EB. At the time, the treatment had been demonstrated only in laboratory mice, but the youngest of four Liao boys has made stunning progress.

Click here to read about another condition helped by cord blood stem cells! 

Are you or a loved one interested in receiving stem cell treatment? For free treatment information, please fill out our treatment form or email me don@repairstemcells.org and just put TREATMENT in the subject box.

Another day, another life saved by adult stem cells.  Today, I present to you Amanda Swink, a Texas native who was suffering from what sounds like leukemia, although the reporter fails to mention that, instead saying she suffered from "cancer of the white blood cells."  Maybe I am nitpicking here, but this does seem a little strange so I thought I would point it out:

For 20 years, Swink had taken daily injections to beat a blood disorder that robbed her of natural immunity. But because of the treatment Swink developed cancer of the white blood cells, Dr. Edward Agoura of Baylor University Medical Center said.

However, in the grand scheme of things, that is meaningless because Amanda Swink still has a life thanks to her stem cell treatment:

A newborn's umbilical cord blood is typically thrown away but it can save lives. Amanda Swink is one patient who overcame a life-threatening disease because of cord blood treatment

Swink is now back to working full-time, is cancer-free and is cured of the immunity-robbing disease that kept her sick all her life.

Click here to read the whole wonderful story 

Are you or a loved one interested in receiving stem cell treatment? For free treatment information, please fill out our treatment form or email me don@repairstemcells.org and just put TREATMENT in the subject box.

A few days ago, I announced the formation of my Worldwide Center for Adult Stem Cell Education (WCASCE). Well, almost on the same day, across the pond in Europe, Professor Colin McGuckin announced the formation of a similar venture. Now, don't confuse Colin McGuckin with Chester McGlockton, the underachieving defensive tackle who never lived up to his potential and reportedly was a cancer on the teams he played for.

Professor McGuckin, one of the top stem cell researchers in the world at Newcastle University became my hero when he announced 2 months ago that:

"For me, the unnecessary row over stem cells has obscured the very real issue that patients are waiting to be treated. Some of those can be, here and now with cord blood. Cord blood has no ethical controversies whatsoever - it's accepted by every major religion on the planet. THE BEST ESTIMATES OF THE EMBRYONIC SCIENTISTS IN OUR OWN UNIVERSITY IN NEWCASTLE IS THAT EMBRYONIC STEM CELLS MAY NOT BE ABLE TO HELP PEOPLE THIS SIDE OF 50 YEARS. THAT'S MY LIFETIME. AND THAT'S WORRYING. WE CAN'T WAIT THAT LONG."

Now, when I say something like that, people scoff as I am just a layman with a passion to help people using adult stem cells. But when a top stem cell research like Professor McGuckin says it, people take notice. And I hope they notice this new group he has formed because it sounds very promising:

Professor Colin McGuckin, Chair in regenerative medicine at Newcastle University and the Fondation Jérôme Lejeune in Paris have announced the formation of a new venture 'Novussanguis ' to promote responsible research on cord blood and adult stem cells. Some 200 international participants were invited to the launch of the consortium at the Medical School of University Paris Descartes, in France.

Novussanguis will try to help those patients who could benefit from treatment with adult and cord blood stem cells. Adult stem cells can be harvested from several human tissues such as brain, bone marrow, peripheral blood, liver, cornea, retina, pancreatic cells and umbilical cord blood.

Click here to read the whole article