Back in 2013 Aicha Aghoura, an Algerian, was involved in a road accident. She received severe injuries to her back and head that left the lower half of her body totally paralyzed. The ordeal was very hard on the family.
The doctors were sceptical of her condition and said that she would never walk again. Aghoura’s family did not give up and fixed multiple appointments with doctors in Algeria. They wanted Aicha to lead a normal life again. In spite of consulting the best physicians and surgeons, Aicha was bedridden for 5 years.
In 2018, Aicha’s aunt Kella heard that India had some of the best hospitals that could treat spinal cord injuries. She approached a ‘patient related’ team in Algeria who provided her with a list of best hospitals in India. Kella did a lot of research about various hospitals. She decided to get her niece treated at Neurogen Brain and Spine Institute, Navi Mumbai. She felt that India was Aicha’s final hope.
Kella came to Mumbai with Aicha and met Dr. Alok Sharma on 16 February and shared all medical reports and details. Kella found him to be very reliable and was highly impressed by his assurance. Aicha was recommended Stem cell therapy for her injuries.
Aicha was hospitalized for 7 days. For the first two days of her stay at the Neurogen Brain and Spine Institute, a complete evaluation and muscle charting was done. On the third day, she underwent stem cell therapy and was on an intensive neuro-rehabilitation. Aicha said, “When I came to India, I couldn’t feel my legs but in few days of this treatment, I was able to stand on my feet. My health is improving day-by-day and now with the help of crutches, I can walk a few steps. Plus, in this treatment, I have learned few medical terms too.”She was thankful to Dr. Sharma for helping her stand on her feet once again.
Spinal cord injuries are caused by violence, accidents, falls, sports injuries, etc. Such injuries often lead to loss of muscle control and movement. Stem cell therapy has proved to be a promising treatment for spinal cord injuries.
