new york city!!!

This week, we were in New York city to see Dr. Fallahpour at the Brain Research Institute. He is going to review Ken's QEEG results from before stem cells back in 2007, and compare them with a QEEG done today. While in the city, we also sceduled an appointment with Dr. Lowe. Dr. Lowe is working on cutting edge research in autism treatments. He suggested we get a spect scan for Kenneth. Those results will be ready next week!

Daniel Faiella And Matthew--The First To Pioneer Stem Cells For Autism

I am amazed at how doctors in the autiswm community and parents who think they are doctors try to market and capitalize stem cells. They then try to take credit for it. Anyone out there that thinks this is ian original idea, get your ego checked. You are reading about stem cells for autism all because Daniel Faiella went public with his story and took time to share his results with the autism community. For this he was greatly attacked. Ken would not be almost recovered without Daniel Faiella's help. Thank you, Daniel and Ruth, for sharing your sons journey. www.RecoveringMatthew.blogspot.com is greatly missed.

My Husband Is Phenomenal, Yet He Just Peels The Carrots...

There he stands by the sink, a scraper in his hand.  Monotonous movements, looking out the window.  In the backyard, the kids are laughing and playing.  And he peels the carrots.

I look at his face.  No expression.  He just saved the world. 

Where has he put all of his money?  Where has it gone?  Doesn't he know that we could have had a beautiful house on the ocean?  Instead, he has voices and laughter and thoughts and dreams.  He has done the impossible.  It is not possible to do what he has done.  Yet, he has done it.

Brains don't change.  But, he has found a way to change Ken's brain.  He has found a way to change Ken's life.  He has found a way to change our lives.  We were suppose to have a beautiful house on the ocean.  He has changed that for us.  Instead, we have a son who is normal.  Yet, he stands peeling carrots and listening to the laughter. 

I hope it was worth it--all the money you spent.  I hope you are happy.

You are a man who has done what no one can do.  You are a genius for your time.  You are a pioneer.  You are a visionary.  You are a hero--brave, determined, and selfless, yet you stand by the sink peeling carrots.

Panama April 2013--Ken's Sixth Stem Cell Treatment!

We spent one night at the Trump Plaza!  It was amazing and so beautiful.  Philip and Kenneth will never forget the fun they had--on the 37th floor.  Even the pool was on the 10th floor!

Four years ago this month, we went to the Stem Cell Institute for Ken's first stem cell treatment...Today, Ken is pretty much normal. His conversations are interesting and engaging, mostly when he is talking to adults. His mind is always thinking, in a serene, methodical way--in ways that make you sit beside him and want to think with him. He has a million questions and LOVES to do schoolwork and history. Extra tutoring hours after school to fill his quest for information previously hidden from him. He is the epitome of perfection, perfect manners, helpful to his father, full of happiness and LIFE. He plays with his seven year old sister, i feel he is catching up, but they do have fun adventures. IQ testing done in 2007 showed his iq was 52. IQ testing in January came back 86.

With This Treatment, We May Have Hit The Jackpot!!

We are in Panama this week for another stem cell treatment.  This time, we have decided to get our first spinal infusion.  Ken is proud to be brave and has impressed everyone with his calm, strong demeanor.  He is an angel, a walking doll.  I could not ask for a more loyal companion, confidant, and friend.  How could my life be full of so many blessings?

Our Story In The Newspaper This Week!

Read our story in the Bangor Daily News!

http://bangordailynews.com/2012/09/14/the-weekly/stem-cell-treatment-benefits-autistic-glenburn-youth/

New Documentary Featuring Ken's Story With Adult Stem Cells!!

Kenneth is featured in this new documentary showing footage of him before and after adult stem cell treatment done at the Stem Cell Institute in Panama City, Panama! www.CellMedicine.com

First Cord Blood Stem Cells For Autism Clinical Trial!!!!

There is a clinical trial announced today in the US for autism with cord blood stem cells!!!  Please let me know if you get in!!!  Good luck.  It is the closest thing to a cure!  http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/08/21/doctors-announce-fda-approved-trial-to-cure-autism-with-cord-blood/?test=latestnews

Breakthrough--Summer Overnight Camp For Ken All Week!!!

Ken has gone to summer camp (overnight) for the week!  He was so excited to go!  Ken claims that he is no longer scared of the dark and can handle summer camp...It feels very strange to not have him home this week.  He is having such a good time.

This is a major event in our lives.  If you understand the type of autism Ken had, you would know what a miracle this is. To clarify, Ken is at camp on his own without any support or an aide--he is just like all the other campers.  Pray for the families that are still struggling and cannot do this with their children.  Stem cells have changed our lives.

www.FairHavenCamps.org

We Had No Guarantee Stem Cells Would Work...

     It has been three years since we decided to treat Ken with umbilical cord blood stem cells (adult stem cells, THIS IS NOT EMBRYONIC).  To remember what our life was like before this miraculous treatment is hard.  We were not sure that the stem cells would work.  All we knew is that the treatment was safe, that there were over 800 clinical trials in the US proving the safety of adult stem cells, and that Matthew Faiella had great results with the same treatment.

     This is a radio interview that aired a few times statewide on a few Maine radio stations, The Maine View, with Ric Tyler.  It can tell our thoughts and fears before venturing into this new, cutting edge therapy for our precious son.

     We were one of the first to do this for autism.  It was scary and exciting. 

...Leave your fears behind and take the path less traveled by
Against the grain should be a way of life,
What is worth the prize is always worth the fight
So, shoot for the stars, regardless of who you are
Do whatever it takes, because you can't rewind a moment in this life
Let nothing stand in your way because the hands of time are never on your side...

The Island Summer

Working on my new documentary, The Island Summer--celebrating healing and hope, while turning focus onto the simple pleasures of an unhurried life with the children...There are no cars, just bikes, and no televisions or computers this summer....

 At low tide, you can walk to the island in the background...I think at high tide, boats pass through here...

 

The weather in Maine changes so quickly...It can be 50 degrees F on the ferry ride to the mainland!  We are looking forward to a beautiful summer on Chebeague Island, off the coast of Maine.  Ken has so many questions and explores the many beaches all day long.  He brings home treasures of sea glass, sand dollars, and hermit crabs.  The results from stem cells can be seen everyday in his amazing thoughts and vast imagination!!  How lucky we are for such a miracle treatment!

Do You Know What It Is Like To Have God Put His Hands On Your Child's Face...

Do you know what it is like for your child to not be able to speak to you? To not be able to tell you how his day was? What he wants to be when he grows up? What his favorite color is?

Do you know what it is like to have your child talk to you? To say that he doesn't want to miss the bus...That he wouldn't like to live in Texas because it is a desert and after 5 pm you can't go out because the snakes will bite you, they have plants with things on them that can hurt you ( but he forgot what they are called--cactus)....

Maybe I am lucky, because I know what both of those things are like...At eight years old, my child could not have a conversation with me. Just two short years later, he is so different. God has shown us mercy. Do you know what it is like to have God put His hands on your child's face and breathe life into his nostrils--for a second time?

Then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature. ...Genesis 2:7

2nd Stem Cell Treatment Flashback!

Listen to the birds in the rainforest...The Panama Canal is just a few feet down the river. It was a fantastic trip!

FLASHBACK...2010 2ND STEM CELL TREATMENT

Wow.  It was so nice our first trip to Panama at the Gamboa Rainforest Resort.  It made the trip enjoyable.

Ken's Stem Cell Injection Today...

Ken:  "I think that the hand is a better idea.  I did it last year in Maine.  It's a better idea, I think.  Oh.  It doesn't hurt at all."

Forget Brad Pitt--I Want To Meet Pablo De La Hoya, The CEO Of The Stem Cell Institute!

Most girls dream about meeting Brad Pitt or George Clooney. Today, I met someone who to me was more exciting than any superstar--Pablo De La Hoya, the CEO of the Stem Cell Institute!

It is strange, something that is so powerful and can change lives so dramatically exists here at this very unassuming location in Panama City, Panama. I watch in amazement as these doctors work, getting ready to inject Ken with his miracle "potion". They are unpretentious, kind, and helpful. Do they not know that it is because of their work that our lives have changed--that Ken has a future--that we can live a normal life?

Pablo De La Hoya is a man that I admire the most in the world--the leader of the champion of stem cell clinics, the Stem Cell Institute. Because of him and others who work at the Stem Cell Institute, we have this amazing treatment. I am impressed with the nerve and fortitude it takes to face up to the pressures of this type of job day after day.

Thank you, the Stem Cell Institute, for saving our son!

First Stem Cell Injection Today!

We are very excited to see what this treatment will do for Kenneth.  Today was the first injection of stem cells, he will have another injection tomorrow.  He does a great job sitting for the infusion!

Here are some photos of our super nice room at the Raddison--27th floor!

As I wait for Ken's first stem cell injection tomorrow, I reflect back on where we were just two short years ago. We didn't know if stem cells were going to work. Not many people had done it for autism then (less than 100, probably less than 50). We knew it was safe, adult stem cells have been studied and tested for over 40 years. We knew that we would be out a lot of money if it didn't work. We knew we would always wonder "what if..." if we didn't try...

I will never go back to being an ordinary person. I am jealous of ordinary people. You have it good, you don't know how hard it is, nor would I wish that knowledge on you.

To those of you wondering if stem cells are right for your child, get with it. No one is going to fix your child. You need to do it yourself. No doctor cares about your child. It is your responsibility. Before stem cells, we spent three hours a day in a hyperbaric chamber with Kenneth. THAT IS 8 DAYS OF DAYLIGHT A MONTH!!!!!!!!!! 8 DAYS IN A CHAMBER, CAN YOU CONCEPTUALIZE THAT?

Daniel Faiella taught me to fight for my son--to rise above ordinary and become extrodinary. He taught me not to be a regular autism parent and accept what I was told. When I hear the following words, I always think of him and our beginning in finding a cure for Kenneth which led us to stem cells.



Each day is a gift and not a given right

Leave no stone unturned, leave your fears behind

And try to take the path less traveled by

That first step you take is the longest stride



Against the grain should be a way of life

What's worth the prize is always worth the fight

Every second counts 'cause there's no second try

So live like you'll never live it twice

Don't take the free ride in your own life



You know it's never too late to shoot for the stars

Regardless of who you are

So do whatever it takes

'Cause you can't rewind a moment in this life

Let nothin' stand in your way

Cause the hands of time are never on your side

Fourth Stem Cell Treatment Next Week!

Ken will have his fourth umbilical cord blood stem cell injection next week.  I want to thank the Stem Cell Institute for having this kind of treatment for autism. The Stem Cell Institute is the best clinic in the world for stem cell treatments. Also, I want to thank Daniel Faiella for first sharing his story about his son, Matthew. Without him, we would never have known about stem cells. Daniel's son was the first child to do this for autism...

Kenneth is a miracle. That word, I use a lot. It is true. His evaluations just came back--he is testing like a typical ten year old boy for conversation. The gaps are closing. Soon, other areas in his life will catch up. He has to work hard. I told his teachers to double up his work so that he can learn the concepts faster. They said they would do this (phew). They said this is his best year and he is so cute with his plans for his future...

He is happy to learn that if he ever gets a cavity, he can fix it with lots of cod liver oil. Someday, he wants to marry his girlfriend and have three kids. When he is at my sisters, he is glad to count the hours he stays (six), but wishes he could go to my shows (and what were they about?). Kenneth can clarify if I misunderstand his speech, for sure, that the mean teacher is Mrs. Morris, in Florida and Mrs. Norris is the speech teacher here in Maine (remember, he is going to be Mrs. Morris' boss when he grows up and fire her because she is so mean, lol)...

Everyday, the changes in my son are remarkable. At age eight, before stem cells, he could not speak to me, tell me how his day was--he screamed, fought, ran away, took off his clothes in public, too many to list.  I never want to go back to autism before stem cells...