Family Pinning Hopes on Bid to Treat Jack

Thursday, 12 July 2007
Source: This is Scunthorpe.co.ukA FOUR-year-old Scunthorpe boy will start his revolutionary treatment for cerebral palsy tomorrow at the world-famous Beike clinic in China.Doctors in Hangzhou will make the first of a series of injections of cord blood stem cells into the spine of Jack Potter who was born a quadriplegic.During the treatment, which is not available in the UK, the stem cells flow directly into the brain.As previously reported, Jack's parents Andrew Potter and Jane Whitelock sought help from China after doctors told them there was no medical treatment for cerebral palsy, which is caused by a poor oxygen supply to the brain before, during or immediately after birth.Well-wishers financed the £20,000 trip which they completed at 12.30pm on Sunday, following a flight from Heathrow to Shanghai and a two-and-half-hour car journey to Hangzhou."It's an amazing set-up at the clinic which occupies the top floor of the Hangzhou General Hospital," Mr Potter (41) told the Scunthorpe Telegraph from the nearby New Century Grand Hotel."There are 12 families here at present, the majority of them Americans and Canadians. But we are soon to be joined by a family from Newcastle."Since Monday, Jack has been undergoing counselling and intensive physiotherapy, preparing for the first injection. He is not very happy about being in the hospital and having all the doctors and nurses around."But that is just Jack being Jack."We have found so many children who have improved during their treatment at the Beike clinic. It really is heartening."We believe we have chosen the best treatment for Jack. China is quite advanced in this field."It's blazing hot here in Hangzhou and the locals are obviously not used to seeing or having English people around."Everywhere we go they stare at us, but the people are friendly. We have only learned one word of Chinese so far - hello."During his month-long stay in China, Jack, a student at St Luke's Special School in Scunthorpe, will be treated with stem cells taken from the umbilical cords of healthy babies.His family hope these will develop into new nerve cells, repair brain damage and enable Jack to use his body for the first time in his life.The family also believe if the treatment works, it will open the doors for other cerebral palsy children in the UK.