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LIVERPOOL DAILY POST

My son wept as he saw me walk again Jul 19 2005

By Mary Murtagh, Liverpool Echo


AS Reece Wilks watched his mother walk towards him he burst into
tears of joy.

The four-year-old knew his mother Jan had multiple sclerosis and was
used to seeing her in a wheelchair.

The mother-of-two's condition had been getting worse when locals
raised £13,000 for revolutionary stem cell treatment in Holland.

Within hours of the treatment Mrs Wilks was out of her wheelchair
and walking unaided for the first time in years.

"It is like a miracle," said the 45-year-old from Stockbridge Lane,
Page Moss. "I feel fantastic and I have no pain. It is like the
start of a whole new life for me. I can put my wheelchair up in the
loft now."

Mrs Wilks's youngest son Reece burst into tears when he saw her back
on her feet again saying: "Mum, you can walk."

Mrs Wilks's 40-year-old husband Paul and eldest son Daniel, 12,
watch in amazement as she regains basic skills she thought were lost
forever - taking a shower, tucking her children up in bed and making
a family meal.

Now Mrs Wilks is looking forward to going back to work at Asda and
seeing colleagues who helped pay for the treatment.

She said: "The girls at work won't believe their eyes."

Mr Wilks was made redundant from his job as security manager at Asda
a few days before the family flew out to Holland.

But his wife's amazing recovery has eased his worry about losing his
livelihood.

He said: "The difference is fantastic. She looks a lot better; her
eyes and complexion are clearer, and she isn't exhausted all the
time.

"She has so much more energy. She is just going from strength to
strength. I can hardly believe it."



STEM cells are the building blocks for every tissue and organ in the
body.

They can be used to treat a range of conditions such as Parkinson's
and Alzheimer's diseases and several forms of cancer.

Stem cells have the ability to grow outside the body and can be
transplanted to produce tissue regrowth in patients with tissue
degenerating diseases.

The cells can be taken from a variety of sources, including unborn
foetuses - but this makes stem cell therapy controversial because it
raises medical ethics issues.

Stem cells used to treat Jan Wilks came from umbilical cords which
would have otherwise been destroyed.

Her treatment - which took just a few hours in a private Dutch
clinic - saw cells put into her body via a drip, and an injection
into the spine to repair damage.

Helen Yates, managing executive of the charity MS Resource Centre,
said: "Stem cells are an exciting new avenue to explore in the
treatment of MS but there are no guarantees with it. It is very much
an experimental treatment.

"Jan is not the only person I have heard of who has had stem cell
treatment and reported improvements in their condition.

"There should be some words of caution though; people need to be
looked after properly after the treatment and need careful
observation. The treatment is also irreversible - once you have stem
cells in your system that is it.

"We are very hopeful and positive about stem cell therapy."

Anyone wanting information on stem cell therapy can contact MSRC on
0800 783 0518.

Mrs Wilks was diagnosed with the disease in 2000. Her condition had
no treatment or cure and would have eventually crippled then killed
her.

She was in constant pain, could not walk far and relied on walking
sticks and a wheelchair.

She said: "I used to be in agony when I got up in the morning. I was
exhausted by the time I got downstairs.

"But now I can make the bed, walk downstairs and I feel normal
again. I am walking straighter, my eyes are brighter and I haven't
needed to use my stick."

Mr Wilks spent hours on the internet searching for alternative
treatments and discovered stem cell therapy was being used elsewhere
in the world to help slow the progress of diseases such as
Parkinson's, cancer and MS.

But the procedure is not yet available in the UK and is very
expensive.

Mrs Wilks's family was preparing to sell their home to pay for
treatment in Holland when colleagues at the Asda store in Huyton
stepped in to help, raising more than £13,000 in just three months.

A sponsored bike ride, donations and collection buckets at city Asda
stores all boosted the coffers.

Pam Barham, one of the Asda fundraisers, greeted Jan when she popped
into the store yesterday.

She said: "It was lovely to see Jan. You could see straight away
that she was much better. Her feet weren't swollen, her eyes were
clear and she was walking.

"Everyone was over the moon to find her better. The money we raised
could not have gone to a better person.

"This is a credit to everyone who raised money for Jan. We had
donations from the Round Table, the Masons and even a cheque from a
Canadian couple."

Mrs Wilks is due to see her consultant next month, and is hoping to
amaze him with her recovery.

marymurtagh@liverpoolecho.co.uk

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