with severe spinal injuries .?
Two weeks after surgery , Kris began to show signs of improvement . Three months later , he ? s able to feed himself , use his cell phone , write his name , operate a motorized wheelchair and hug his friends and family . Improved sensation and movement in both arms and hands also makes it easier for Kris to care for himself , and to envision a life lived more independently .
? As of 90 days post-treatment , Kris has gained significant improvement in his motor function , up to two spinal cord levels ,? said Dr . Liu . ? In Kris ? case , two spinal cord levels means the difference between using your hands to brush your teeth , operate a computer or do other things you wouldn ? t otherwise be able to do , so having this level of functional independence cannot be overstated .?
Doctors are careful not to predict Kris ? future progress .
? All I ? ve wanted from the beginning was a fighting chance ,? said Kris , who has a passion for fixing up and driving sports cars and was studying to become a life insurance broker at the time of the accident . ? But if there ? s a chance for me to walk again , then heck yeah ! I want to do anything possible to do that .?
Because the window for performing the surgery was tight , everything needed to go according to schedule in order for Kris to qualify .
Once Kris made the decision to pursue enrollment in the study , dozens of doctors , nurses , rehabilitation specialists and others sprang into action . Because he would need to provide voice confirmation of his desire to participate in the study , Kris had to be able to breathe without a ventilator . Weaning a patient from assisted breathing generally is a three-week process . He did it in five days with the help of a respiratory care team . He signed the paperwork and began a week of assessments , scans and other pre-surgery tests .
In early April , a surgical team from Keck Hospital of USC carefully injected 10 million AST-OPC1 cells directly into Kris ? cervical spine . Nearly six weeks later , Kris was discharged and returned to Bakersfield to continue his rehabilitation . Doctors reviewed his progress at seven days , 30 days , 60 days and 90 days post-injection , and Kris can look forward to detailed assessments after 180 days , 270 days and one year .
Rodney and Annette Boesen say they are amazed at the level of collaboration and cooperation that enabled their son to participate in the study . ? So many things had to happen , and there were so many things that could have put up a roadblock ,? marvels Rodney . ? The people at Keck Medical Center of USC and elsewhere moved heaven and earth to get things done . There was never a moment through all of this when we didn ? t think our son was getting world class care .?
The pioneering surgery is the latest example of how the emerging fields of neurorestoration and
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