by Michael Locklear, News 4 San Antonio <\/p>\n
Stefanie Cowley of Helotes testified in favor of the bill. She was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2007, was told she was a no-option patient in 2011 and in 2014, she began the therapy that required her to travel to Mexico. (Photo: Sinclair Broadcast Group) <\/p>\n
SAN ANTONIO Some terminally and chronically ill patients are eagerly awaiting the governors signature on a bill they believe will help thousands of Texans. <\/p>\n
HB 810, known as Charlies Law, would allow access to adult stem cell therapy for certain sick people. <\/p>\n
Stefanie Cowley of Helotes testified in favor of the bill. She was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2007, was told she was a no-option patient in 2011 and in 2014, she began the therapy that required her to travel to Mexico. <\/p>\n
Cowley said a Houston company, Celltex Therapeutics, does a mini-liposuction, extracting a few tablespoons of her fat, then prepares the hundreds of millions of stem cells. She then travels to Cancun so a private hospital there can set up an hour-long IV to return the stem cells to her body. <\/p>\n
These are your healing cells, she said. These are if you cut yourself, they're your healing cells that go towards that spot to repair. <\/p>\n
That took my pain levels down from 8-9-10 daily to 2-3-4, Cowley said. <\/p>\n
Charlies Law would presumably allow her to access the treatment entirely within Texas, which could become the first state in the country to do so. <\/p>\n
Cowley said other conditions such as Parkinsons, Alzheimers and even autism could benefit from the treatment, although stem cell researchers caution that large-scale successes have not yet been reported. <\/p>\n
David Eller, CEO and Chairman of Celltex Therapeutics, released the following statement: <\/p>\n
@MichaelLocklear | mlocklear@sbgtv.com<\/a> <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Originally posted here: <\/p>\n MS patients await governor's signature on bill allowing adult stem ... - WOAI<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" by Michael Locklear, News 4 San Antonio Stefanie Cowley of Helotes testified in favor of the bill. She was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2007, was told she was a no-option patient in 2011 and in 2014, she began the therapy that required her to travel to Mexico Continue reading