"Child Stem Cell Recipient Heads Home"

[GreenPartyVoter]

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Daniel Kerner's parents knew the experimental brain surgery was risky, but without it the 6-year-old surely would die.

Last month in Portland, Ore., doctors for the first time transplanted stem cells from aborted fetuses into his head in a desperate bid to reverse, or at least slow, a rare genetic disorder called Batten disease. The so-far incurable condition normally results in blindness and paralysis before death.

Doctors don't know if the neural stem cells taken from fetuses - donated to a nonprofit medical foundation by women aborting early-stage pregnancies - will save Daniel's life. But the boy has sufficiently recovered from his 8-hour surgery to be expected to return to his Orange County, Calif., home Friday. The Jewish holiday of Hanukkah begins that night.

"We don't think that is a coincidence," said Marcus Kerner, who said a deep faith in Judaism and long hours of prayer prompted the family to volunteer Daniel for the risky procedure. Daniel was diagnosed two years ago and has since lost the ability to walk and talk. Daniel is the first volunteer of an experiment that plans to operate on five more afflicted children over the next year.

http://apnews1.iwon.com/article/20061211/D8LUUG680.html

I hope this helps him, poor kid. :(

[catabryna]

1. This oughta send the righties over the edge!

I wouldn't hesitate to do the same thing for my kid, especially after watching my husband suffer a failed stem cell transplant (using his own cells) and there being no donor match available to attempt a second transplant. I believe that unassigned, immature stem cells such as these would have offered my husband's best chance to beat Hodgkin's Disease. The next best bet is the umbilical cord and I do wish that there was a more inexpensive and streamlined method available to families who wish to donate all those discarded cords.

Of course, I'm one of them progressive religious types, so what I think most certainly condemns me to some uncertain fate in the eyes of some fundie.

Hoping along with you that this will be of help to this kiddo.

Edited: to correct typo.

[pansypoo53219]

2. NPR had a story

about that disease. it's quite horrible. i am sick of the talibornagains stopping medical help for fetuses that will never or RARELY be children, while LIVE humans are devastated. ooh ooh ooh it's fucking God's will.
fuck them.
of course i also think we keep people alive too long.
and then we don't NEED more humans.
eh, humans suck.