Written by: Zeng Chin Fang
Translated by: Juneau Weng
Proofread by: Agness Tsao
Professor Wise Young, who is an internationally renowned neurosurgeon, also the physician of Christopher Levi ,the former movie star in "Superman" , with the reputation of "nerve builders" and "nerve architects" in the global medical community, had a cooperation program for " Experiment of Transnational treatment for human spinal cord injury stem cell " in Taiwan this September. Taking this opportunity, Professor Yang especially asked Doctor Lin Shin Rong , the president of Tzu Chi Hospital in Hualien, accompany him to make a special trip to the Jing Si Abode in Hualien and meet Master Cheng Yen in the morning of the 15th.
After a gap for many years, Professor Young updated to Master Cheng Yen the human trials results of his stem cell transplantation for treatment of spinal cord injury people in the past few years. Professor Young praised how Tzu Chi had worked for the global, also humbly referred how Tzu Chi medical volunteers encouraged patients and influenced them to renew their vigor towards lives, which impressed him deeply in the heart.
Master Cheng Yen mentioned that the Annual Meeting of Tzu Chi International Medical Association is holding in the nearby Jing Si hall, and invited Professor Young to be there to share his research results to more than 600 attendees of TIMA members from twenty countries.
Master Cheng Yen mentioned that the Annual Meeting of Tzu Chi International Medical Association is holding in the nearby Jing Si hall, and invited Professor Young to be there to share his research results to more than 600 attendees of TIMA members from twenty countries.
After one year’s test , many spinal cord injury patients can not only walk; those who needed to use a catheter to urinate now are uprooted; and also those required the anal stimulation with hands for defecation, can also now be self-defecation; and some patients even initiatively informed the doctor that their sexual function was restored. Unfortunately, those patients who had only subject Stem cell transplantation without the walking rehabilitation; their moving function did not improve.
Everyday Professor Young receives letters for help from all over the world. He said that if the global spinal cord injury patients could receive stem cell transplantation with rehabilitation, even if the umbilical cord blood being collected in worldwide would be donated, it will still be not enough to treat all spinal cord injury patients. Professor Young has prepared a plan to enter the second stage B, with those participating countries including the United States, China, India, Norway etc. In Taiwan, Professor Young is hoping to cooperate with three hospitals: the National Taiwan University, Veterans General Hospital, and Tzu Chi Hospital, from each hospital he will recruit nine subjects for a total of twenty-seven subjects.
Professor Young believes that in the future, Tzu Chi will be the important experimental institution, because the numerous volunteers in the group will be the important promoters to encourage patients after they have received stem cell transplantation and take rehabilitation to make the effort to walk. "Of course, if Master Cheng Yen is willing to encourage the patients by asking, the patients will surely be more obedient, and strive to walk." After having heard Professor Young’s "hint", the participants agreed with applauses or laughter.
Professor Young also gave time for the members of TIMA to ask questions. And after the speech, he also continued a two-ways communication with several physicians and TIMA members. Professor Young expects the day that the cord blood stem cell transplantation in the treatment of human trials in patients with spinal cord injury and the publication of research results will come as soon as possible so that the global spinal cord injury patients can stand up as soon as possible, taking the pace out of the suffering of waiting for death on the lying bed, to restart their new lives.
