QUOTE
Boca family finds hope for disabled son in stem cells
By Stephanie Horvath
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Friday, May 27, 2005
BOCA RATON — A year ago, 3-year-old Adam Susser couldn't see, walk or talk. He was a blind quadriplegic with cerebral palsy who was shut off from his parents and twin brother.
That began to change around Memorial Day weekend, when Adam's eyes followed a bright-colored soccer ball that his healthy twin brother, Brandon, rolled across the floor of their Boca Raton home.
Do you support Congress' efforts to overturn President Bush's limitations on stem cell research funding?
Yes
No
"Did you see that?" Gary and Judy Susser, his elated parents, cried to each other. Just weeks earlier, doctors had told them that Adam's eye tissue was deteriorating. Now, suddenly, he could see.
Other changes followed. Aided by a walker, Adam began to take steps. And one day, when Gary Susser got home from work, Adam called out, "Hi, Dad."
The Sussers attribute Adam's miraculous progress to injections of umbilical-cord stem cells provided by a doctor in Tijuana, Mexico. Adam got his first injection into his stomach in February 2004 and has had one since. A week from today, the family will fly west for the toddler's third shot.
The Sussers say they will continue with the shots, which cost $6,000 each, as long as they see progress in their skinny, brown-haired son.
"I'm now convinced that this is the best way to help our son reach his maximum potential," Gary Susser said. "I don't want him at 15 years old coming up and saying, 'Daddy, why didn't you do this?' "
The Sussers' determination to seek treatment for their son comes amid a battle in Washington over embryonic stem-cell research.
The House passed a bill this week that would permit federal funding for research on stem cells taken from existing embryos stored by in-vitro fertilization clinics, and Senate leaders are calling for a vote on a similar bill. But President Bush has promised to veto any bill, saying the research destroys human life.
Meanwhile, people with disorders ranging from cancer to Parkinson's disease to paralysis are clamoring for the federal government to put money into stem-cell research, saying it could cure their debilitating ailments.
Some, like the Sussers, have decided to seek treatment elsewhere. But critics warn that can be risky.
By Stephanie Horvath
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Friday, May 27, 2005
BOCA RATON — A year ago, 3-year-old Adam Susser couldn't see, walk or talk. He was a blind quadriplegic with cerebral palsy who was shut off from his parents and twin brother.
That began to change around Memorial Day weekend, when Adam's eyes followed a bright-colored soccer ball that his healthy twin brother, Brandon, rolled across the floor of their Boca Raton home.
Do you support Congress' efforts to overturn President Bush's limitations on stem cell research funding?
Yes
No
"Did you see that?" Gary and Judy Susser, his elated parents, cried to each other. Just weeks earlier, doctors had told them that Adam's eye tissue was deteriorating. Now, suddenly, he could see.
Other changes followed. Aided by a walker, Adam began to take steps. And one day, when Gary Susser got home from work, Adam called out, "Hi, Dad."
The Sussers attribute Adam's miraculous progress to injections of umbilical-cord stem cells provided by a doctor in Tijuana, Mexico. Adam got his first injection into his stomach in February 2004 and has had one since. A week from today, the family will fly west for the toddler's third shot.
The Sussers say they will continue with the shots, which cost $6,000 each, as long as they see progress in their skinny, brown-haired son.
"I'm now convinced that this is the best way to help our son reach his maximum potential," Gary Susser said. "I don't want him at 15 years old coming up and saying, 'Daddy, why didn't you do this?' "
The Sussers' determination to seek treatment for their son comes amid a battle in Washington over embryonic stem-cell research.
The House passed a bill this week that would permit federal funding for research on stem cells taken from existing embryos stored by in-vitro fertilization clinics, and Senate leaders are calling for a vote on a similar bill. But President Bush has promised to veto any bill, saying the research destroys human life.
Meanwhile, people with disorders ranging from cancer to Parkinson's disease to paralysis are clamoring for the federal government to put money into stem-cell research, saying it could cure their debilitating ailments.
Some, like the Sussers, have decided to seek treatment elsewhere. But critics warn that can be risky.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/con..._cell_0527.html