Sunday, November 8, 2009

I have co-hosted the MDA Labor Day Telethon for a decade. My goal has been to help raise awareness and funds to fight the disease so we can be one step closer to finding a treatment or a cure for people with muscular dystrophy.

All of these years I have worked hoping someday we would find something that could help patients like my friend Ryan. Well, that someday may be here.

Let me introduce you to Ryan Benton. Ryan was diagnosed with duchenne muscular dystrophy when he was just a toddler. He has spent most of his life in a wheel chair while his muscles have slowly deteriorated.

Most patients with Ryan's form of muscular dystrophy are confined to a wheel chair by their teenage years and do not live past their mid-twenties. Ryan is 23-years-old.

About a year and a half ago, Ryan went to see a physician in San Jose, Costa Rica who researches and works with adult stem cells. The physician's name is Dr. Neil Riordan and he is a native of Wichita. Dr. Riordan grew up with Ryan's parents and he is the founder of the ICM clinic.

The clinic researches stem cell rejuvenation, a process that is not yet legal in the United States. But, Dr. Riordan believes stem cell rejuvenation is the future of health care and Ryan's parents took him to Costa Rica to be treated.

Ryan is the first muscular dystrophy patient to be treated at the ICM clinic. Ryan received stem cells from his sister and donor umbilical cords. He received 46 shots over a week long period.

Muscular dystrophy patients don't produce enough dystrophen and this is what causes their muscles to deteriorate. Ryan has been treated at the clinic three separate times over the past year and half and he says the results have been amazing.

Dr. Riordan says an MD patient has a 0 to 5 dystrophen level which is what Ryan had before the treatments. A normal dystrophen level is 50 to 100. Ryan says his latest dystrophen tests show he is now at a normal level.

Ryan says he feels so much healthier and his neck and trunk muscles are stronger. He's gained 30 pounds and his balance and endurance are better.

Dr. Riordan says he had already seen people with multiple sclerosis and spinal chord injuries drastically improve with his adult stem cell treatments but now--he sees great hope for MD patients has well.

Since Ryan, three more MD patients have been treated at Dr. Riordan's clinic. They also report that they are seeing improvements. Dr. Riordan says he has not charged them or their families a dime because he says it is all about advancing the science to find a cure.

Dr. Riordan hopes to partner with an organization in the United States like the Muscular Dystrophy Association so more patients with muscular dystrophy can receive this treatment. I contacted a lead researcher at MDA and she wants to talk with Dr. Riordan about his research.

If you would like more information about the ICM clinic and Dr. Riordan's treatment for muscular dystrophy you can call toll free 1-800-980-STEM (7836) or click on related links.