Here's a sampling, from late 2004, of real people who have greatly benefited from, or been cured by, adult stem cell therapies. Adult stem cells come from various tissues and organs in the human body (without adverse effects), or from the placenta or umbilical cord blood preserved after the birth of a baby. These are all ethical sources of stem cells.

[Keep in mind that unethical, embryo-destructive stem cell research has, as yet, produced not one successful therapy.]

Spinal Cord Injuries

Laura D. and Susan F. both paralyzed in car accidents, can now walk with the aid of braces or a "walker" frame.

Melissa Holley, whose spinal cord was severed in an auto accident, was treated in Israel with macrophages from her own blood, and has regained  muscle movement and bladder control. Hwang Mi-soon of South Korea now walks with a frame after being paralyzed for 20 years. She received transplanted umbilical cord blood stem cells at the site of her spinal injury.

Heart attack damage

Dmitri Bonnville and perhaps 100 other patients in the U.S., Germany, Brazil, and France have been treated with their own stem cells to regenerate heart muscle tissue that "died" during a heart attack or injury. The heart's pumping ability was greatly improved in most cases.

Corneal regeneration

Michael May (blind 43 years), Jon Newton (blind 30 years), and Shawn Smith (blind 10 years).have had their vision restored, as have 16 other patients in the U.S. and Taiwan follwoing limbal stem cell transplantation.

Diabetes

Over 200 Type I Diabetes patients no longer have to take insulin, after receiving pancreatic islet cells from cadavers under the "Edmonton Protocol" developed in Canada.

Crohn's Disease

Kathy Duffey and at least 3 other patients have been cured of this life-impairing disease after treatment with stem cells from their own blood.

Systemic Lupus

An 18-yr-old girl was cured, and 90% of 18 other patients are in remission or improved following treatment with their own blood stem cells.

Multiple Sclerosis

David Hassenpflug's condition improved after being treated with stem cells from his own blood; he has no more pain in his legs and hips.

Parkinson's

Dennis Turner's symptoms improved over 80% after receiving a transplant of his own neuronal stem cells from Dr. Michael Levesque of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. He was virtually symptom-free for 4 years; now his symptoms have begun to recur on the side of his brain left untreated, and he is urging support for broader clinical trials.

Leukemia

Savannah Jantsch, Makenzie Brawner, Patricia Duarte and hundreds of other leukemia patients are free of leukemia after treatment with umbilical cord stem cells, or stem cells taken from their own - or a donor's - blood or bone marrow.

Sickle-cell Anemia

In 1998, then 12-yr-old Keone Penn was expected to live only five more years due to an extreme form of sickle cell anemia. Doctors at the University of Pittsburgh cured him by replacing his blood with stem cells from umbilical cord blood which grew new blood cells for him. More than 200 patients have undergone similar therapy with an 80-85% success rate.

Adult stem cell therapies also have cured or substantially improved the condition of patients with the following conditions: ovarian cancer, breast cancer, multiple myeloma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, SCIDS ("Bubble Boy" Syndrome), Hurler's Syndrome, scleromyxedema, and brittle bone disease (including babies cured by therapies in utero!)

[Life Insight, Nov-Dec 2004]