No More Heart Surgeries in Mike’s Future

VesCell Adult Stem Cell Therapy Gave Him a Reason to Dance

Mike: And I’ll tell you it was horrible.

ABC Channel 13: Last fall, Mike was fading fast. Doctors didn’t think he would survive the summer.

Wife: we knew there was nothing else the doctors could do, and we asked them and they said there are no more surgeries in Mike’s future, so we knew it was pretty glum.

ABC: Then Mike read about a new treatment, one that would use his own stem cells to repair his heart.

Mike: We just thought, this is what we wanted to do. To try to at least extend my life.

ABC: It is not available yet in the US except for clinical trials. Mike asked his doctors if it was worth traveling to one of the few places that does the procedure, Thailand.

Mike’s Doctor: He came back and said, “This is what I want to do, would you support me in this?” And Dr. Carry and I both said yes.

ABC: So in July, Mike and his wife flew to Bangkok.

Wife: I was very nervous… I couldn’t imagine coming home on that flight without him.

ABC: This is the video from Mike’s actual procedure. Doctors injected Mike’s stem cells into a catheter and released it in his heart, where they’ll hopefully transform into healthy tissue.

Wife: I just kept thinking, I know this is going to work for him, and I truly believe that it has.

ABC: Four months later, Mike seems to be doing much better.

Mike: The way I feel today, I weed-wacked for about a half an hour the grass and I raked a little bit, and I used the leaf blower, for half an hour, 40 minutes, and I felt good. I couldn’t have done that in May or June, and that’s a fact, my wife will tell you.

ABC: Although doctors are still waiting for some results, Teresa is already convinced.

Wife: I came home from work one day and found Mike dancing in our kitchen. He grabbed my hand and spun me around. He was all like, you know. And I was like, whoa there’s my Mike - you know he's back!

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