Stem cell therapy for cerebral palsy: Holly Catalano 1st treatment

Holly was born at 29 weeks and was diagnosed with periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) while in the NICU. PVL is similar to Cerebral Palsy. When we met with the doctors in New York, they said that her PVL was small and would only affect one side of her body and they felt that she would not have any motor symptoms and would be fine.

These doctors could not have been more wrong. While she seemed to be a typical infant once she left the hospital, she began to miss many of her motor milestones right away. At about a year of age, she was able to roll onto her back, but not onto her stomach. At this time, she started physical therapy. She made very slow progress. About this time, she started to develop high tone in her legs and arms.

By the time she was 16 months of age, she was not able to sit up, crawl, or walk. She had much difficulty sitting up in a high chair and was not able to hold her own bottle. Her physical therapists told me she would most likely not be a “functional walker”.

On that day, we decided to go to the Stem Cell Institute in Panama. While the doctors we had seen in the past were very wrong about her prognosis to be “fine”, the doctors in Panama were right every step of the way. The doctors told me that I would most likely see a decrease in her tone that may lead to an increase in function. This was exactly what we saw after her second of four injections in Panama. Holly started to take bigger steps while we held her up. Prior to going to Panama, she walked with us holding her. Her steps were laborious, scissored in front of her, and she needed cues for each and every step.

While still in Panama, she refused to have my husband and I hold her anymore, she wanted to be held walking all the time. Her steps became bigger and needed no prompting. Her increase in knee and hip flexion was incredible. While also in Panama, Holly started to be able to hold her own botle and pick up her “sippy” cup to drink using both of her hands. She was unable to do either prior to the treatment. She was also able to sit up in her high chair without using her arms to come forward. This also she was not able to do prior to treatment.

Upon returning home, within one day, she was able to pull herself across the floor on her stomach. She was not able to do this prior at all. Within 3 days, she independently started to walk using a posterior walker. She needed the walker to be pushed forward and needed cues to take steps prior to the treatment. Upon return from Panama, her chiropractor could not believe the change in tone in her legs. It was much less. Her physical therapist felt that her steps were much bigger. Her occupational therapist who was very skeptical about the stem cell treatment stated that he could not put aside the changes he was seeing. Holly was instantly able to use both of her hands together, needed much less prompting to use her more involved left arm/hand, and started to isolate the fingers in her right hand. These are huge fine motor gains.

We are currently 2 months post-treatment and her physical therapists have changed their prognosis for her. They are now saying that we can transition her from her posterior walker to walking without assistance in the future.

The Stem Cell Institute clinic, doctors, and staff are just wonderful. The doctors were accurate in the changes we would see, but did not promise anything. They took the time to answer any questions I had, even when I called them on their personal cell phone at 7AM in Panama. The clinic was clean and modern. The hospital where Holly went under general anesthesia was also modern and clean, with equally qualified doctors. Holly was in good hands at every step.

Panama is beautiful and I felt very safe there. My family made a vacation out of it, bringing Holly’s twin sister, Bethany and her 3 year old Brother, Tyler along. I would recommend this clinic without hesitation.

I want anyone who is reading this to know that I am in no way being paid to write this and you may call me on my cell phone at any time. I have signed a release with the clinic so that I may be contacted.

Carolyn Catalano

NOTE: In order to keep emails and phone calls to a manageable level, Mrs. Catalano’s email and cell phone number will be provided to the parents of all CP or PVL patients who have been evaluated and approved for treatment.