Can autism be treated with Stem Cell Therapy?
Like most children, eight-year-old boy, Matthew Faiella of Williamsville loves playing with his action figures. Unlike most boys his age, he has an incredible talent for sketching, and can also speak Spanish.
It’s hard to imagine, just two years ago, Matthew, who lives with autism, couldn’t even string two words together.
“It was very sad to see, he was in his own little world. Couldn’t speak. Couldn’t communicate,” said Daniel Faiella, Matthew’s father.
Daniel says he and his wife tried the typical treatments for their son’s autism, a disease that now affects 1 in 91 children. But, they didn’t see many improvements. Daniel said, “I wanted something that would recover him where he wouldn’t need any treatment ever.”
Daniel began researching autism online and determined hyperbaric oxygen therapy could be the answer. He read it takes away inflammation in the brain, and mobilizes stem cells from the bone marrow into the body. “Within a week, he went from two words to a whole sentence,” said Daniel.
They saw tremendous growth in Matthew’s verbal skills and socialization. They soon believed they would see even better results if they combined that with cord blood stem cell injections. Daniel said, “60 to 100 have done it in the world. We were one of the first.” They traveled three times to Costa Rica for the $15,000 injections three times, but they say it’s worth every penny. There is no such a thing as a magic bullet or spontaneous recovery when it comes to autism. And he says desperate parents trying to help their children, could actually put them at risk.
“Stem cell seems a little more radical to me and has a little greater risk than the hyperbaric chamber, but neither has any science to support they’re an effective practice for kids with autism and that is a little troubling,” and again they’re leaving for a fourth trip to Costa Rica a few weeks, this time for stem cell injections not into Matthew’s blood, but directly into his spine. Daniel is hopeful his son will then be cured. “I’m praying for it. And it’s my belief that he’s going to get there,” said Daniel.
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