Paralysed woman's stem cell hope

A 26-year-old woman left paralysed by a freak medical condition says she is determined to learn to walk again.

Carolyne Underwood, from Greater Manchester, has been in a wheelchair since suffering a burst blood vessel in her spinal cord last year.

But she is now preparing to fly to the United States for stem cell treatment which she hopes could help her regain the use of her legs.

The trip follows a �24,000 donation from a mystery benefactor.

Ms Underwood, a former bar manager, from Stalybridge, lost the use of her legs when the burst blood vessel caused a spinal injury as she slept in January 2007.

I'm going get my stem cell treatment and I am going to learn to walk again Carolyne Underwood

"At the beginning I just thought, 'Oh great, everything has now been taken away from me. I can't use my legs. I've lost my job. I'm going to lose all of my friends. I won't be able to do anything'.

"I just kind of plodded on. I don't really know what I felt. I just took each day as it came and just decided I wasn't going to let it get me down and that I was going to get better."

Ms Underwood and her family launched a fund-raising campaign to raise �30,000 for the treatment, which has been made possible by the mystery �24,000 donation.

She say she has "no idea at all" who provided the money, adding: "I'd love to know and be able to thank them personally... it's just amazing."

Under the treatment programme, doctors will inject her spinal cord with stem cells taken from bone marrow from her nose.

It is hoped the procedure will regenerate the damaged nerves in her spine.

"I am where I am and I'm not stopping here. I'm going to go all the way," said Ms Underwood.

"I'm going get my stem cell treatment and I am going to learn to walk again."

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version