An 8-year-old boy from Jaipur who had sustained serious injuries to his spine in a road accident and had become paraplegic as a result, has not only regained sensory perception but also been able to stand and walk following a stem cell therapy in a hospital in Mumbai.

The boy and his family met with a road accident while travelling in a car for a marriage ceremony in May 2015 in Jaipur. In this accident, his elder brother died along with two other relatives, but the boy and his parents survived. The boy however, sustained injuries in his spine and was hospitalised immediately. He underwent basic treatment at a hospital in Jaipur for one and half months, but he could not stand.

The family was told that he would not be able to sit, stand or walk in the future, as he had lost sensory perception in his hips and legs as well as bowel and bladder control. After discharge from the hospital, the boy remained bed-ridden without any treatment for three years. Then, the family read about cell-based therapy in a newspaper and they brought the boy to Mumbai.

He was advised three sessions of cell-based therapy along with neuro-rehabilitation and accordingly, he recently underwent cell-based therapy at Adigos Stem Cells, in order to repair and regenerate the damage to the nerves and muscles in the spine, said Dr Pradeep Mahajan, regenerative medicine researcher, Adigos Stem Cells. Within a period of one and half months, the boy regained some sensory perception in his inner thigh area, he said.

Initially, the boy was advised basic stretching exercises for his back, hips and legs, he informed and said following this, he was trained to stand with the help of calipers and walker. He can now sit on his own without any back support and can also walk with the help of walker while using calipers. He is also able to understand sensation of bowel movements, Dr Mahajan said and added overall, Rohit was showing exceptional improvement within a short period of time.

The mother of the boy said, "I was depressed after the accident as I had lost my elder son, my husband and my younger son were injured. I was devastated to hear that my only surviving son would not be able to sit or stand ever. But now, after the treatment given by Dr Pradeep Mahajan and his team, my child is able to sit, stand, and walk with support. I will get him admitted to school again and I am sure he will soon walk without support."