Now 16 years old, Kyle Knopes was diagnosed with Type 2 spinal muscular atrophy, a genetic neuromuscular disorder that affects the part of the nervous system that controls voluntary muscle movement, when he was just a baby. He has never walked or crawled, and he has been confined to a wheelchair since he was 18 months old. He couldn't even open his fist and stretch his fingers.

Kyle, his mother and his brother decided to invest in a 5 ½-week journey from Janesville, WI to Qingdao Cheng Yang Peoples Hospital in Qingdao, China, where Kyle would undergo a round of stem cell injections. While there, he had daily sessions of physical therapy, acupuncture and electric wave therapy in addition to receiving eight injections of stem cells through an IV. The cells Kyle received were from umbilical cord blood.

The cost of treatment was $30,000 plus expenses -- every penny of which the Knopes feel was worth all the fundraising and planning that enabled them to go to China. In fact, Kyle says he noticed improvements after his first injection. "I rolled from my back to my right side, which I haven't done since I was 6," he says. Later that same day, he was able to roll from his back to his left side, too. He has also gained strength in his arms, hands, wrists, head, neck and jaw. And he can open and close his fist, a simple task he could not previously accomplish without help. According to his doctors, he may experience more improvements for up to nine months.

Another Wisconsin youngster -- 12-year-old Brooke Barels from East Troy -- also underwent two stem cell injection procedures in China, first in 2007, then again this past spring. Brooke had been suffering from glucose transporter deficiency (GLUT-1), a "spontaneous gene mutation" that has resulted in cerebral palsy-like symptoms, as well as delayed brain development. After just one treatment, she was able to walk with a cane instead of a walker. Her motor and cognitive skills have also showed improvement. "It really sped up her progress," says mom Vicki after the first round of treatments. "Although progress has normally been slow for Brooke, it kind of gave her a little jump in the physical area." That progress motivated the family to return for a second round of injections. It has been almost three months since their second trip, and Vicki is hopeful that Brooke will see more improvements over the next few months.

News Release: Stem cell treatments making a big difference in the life of Janesville teen www.gazettextra.com July 25, 2009