REASON FOR TREATMENT: On the night of November 11th 2003, when Shawna was 17, she lost control over her car and run into a tree. The accident left her severely brain damaged.  Against all the doctors' expectations, Shawna came out of the Coma, and progressed from a vegetative state to being minimally conscious. Her parents decided to keep their daughter at home, taking care of all her daily needs and keep her on intense physiotherapy program, but eventually realized that they've exhausted all treatment options available in the U.S.   Hearing on the TV about another family that traveled to China for stem cell treatment, Gary and Lorrain Weil decided to travel with their daughter to Beijing.

DIAGNOSIS:  Traumatic Brain Injury, minimal consciousness state.

BEGINNING OF TREATMENT: October 4, 2007.

TREATMENT: 4 stem cell injections via lumbar puncture + nutritious stem cell cocktail treatment (intravenous).

CONDITION BEFORE THE TREATMENT:
See Videos: before1

Shawna's level of responsiveness before treatment was very slow. Her communication ability was limited to moaning or giving the "thumbs up" sign. She could not do a "thumbs down" sign and she could not talk at all. Shawna was unable to smile or convey feeling in her facial expression.
Shawna was also unable to control any movements in her body. Even small movements were difficult or impossible for her. Her eyes would roll and could not focus and she had trouble holding her neck up unaided.
All of Shawna's daily activities and chores were dependent on aid from a caregiver or family member. She could not support her body at any level, her muscles were tense and stiff and she was being fed by a feeding tube. 

AFTER THE TREATMENT:
See Videos: after1, after2, after PT

For patients in a condition as severe as Shawna's, small changes make a huge difference. After the 8 weeks stem cell treatment, Shawna's communication ability has somewhat improved, the strength of her voice improved and she started to make new voices, that she hasn't done before. 
Her eye balls became more aligned and she could now make a little better eye contact and focus her eyes better.
Shawna's ability to react to physical sensations has improved as well.  Her family reported on one occasion that while being showered at the hospital Shawna had immediate response of jerking and yelling because the water was too hot, a reaction she has never shown before the treatment.  During PT and OT sessions, Shawna seemed to progressed at a faster pace.

2 MONTHS AFTER TREATMENT:
Two months after returning back to their home in the USA, Lorrain Weil, writes in Shawna's journal on her website: 
 "Shawna has finally gained back all the weight she lost due to being sick after the last stem cell treatment in China. Her eyes continue to be more in alignment than they had been in the past. One new development is that she is definitely moving her own legs during pivot transfers! Two weeks now she's been doing it ... woohoo ... go Shawna."

3.5 MONTHS AFTER TREATMENT:
Another journal entry from March, 2008:
 "Shawna is definitely improving at a much faster rate than the last 4 years of her life. The therapists agree that she is definitely following commands!"
To read more about Shawna's story, go to: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/shawnaweil/