Andrews puzzle

This time last year we were returning from our biggest Autism adventure to date, and after Andrew's fantastic response we have decided to fund raise for further treatment

Within hours of the first treatment, Andrew who at the time was 7 years old, and still in nappies. Took his nappy off, and with no prompting from us he took himself to the toilet for the first time in his life. And that was it, Andrew was off nappies completely night and day. This alone was huge not just for Andrew but for us as parents. See before treatment not only was Andrew still in nappies, but he would regularly cover himself, his room and everything in it including the roof in feces. And he did this daily, on some days he did this up to ten times a day. I can’t put into words how heart breaking and soul destroying it is to see you're 7 year old child standing naked covered in his own feces for the 10th time in the last 3 hours hysterically laughing, while you're in tears because its 4 o'clock in the morning and you've no hot water left to bath him no clean bedding left and the washing machine still has an hour to go, But again we have not had to deal with this once since the treatment

Andrew has come on leaps and bounds at School as well. We never told the school about the treatment so that we could get some UN biased feedback. They still don't know even now, because the treatment continues to do its thing for 9 to 12 months before it plateau. So every bit of feedback we get from the school is non -biased. The school are reporting that Andrews’s receptive language has shot through the roof and he can now follow verbal instructions. They are also reporting big improvements in hyperactivity (Andrew has severe ADHD as well) He is now sitting at group time, and is able to sit for up to 15 minutes doing tasks. Overall they think he has made huge improvements over the last 12 months, and where very excited about his sudden willingness to engage and make eye contact. They were especially happy and baffled when we took him on holiday for a week (for treatment) and he came back to school completely off of nappies.

Life for Andrew and for us as a family has improved so much in the 12 months after the treatment, that for us there is simply no choice but to go back for further treatment

So what’s the treatment?

For Andrew its being able to understand what people say to him now, it’s being able to sit nicely and complete a task, its being able to go the shops without being so overcome by sensory issues that he becomes frightened and has to leave before making it to choose that magazine he really wanted, its being able to go for a walk, its little more dignity from being able to use the toilet and wearing big boy pants, it’s not breaking every new thing he gets, and getting upset when he can’t understand why it no longer works.

For us as a family, its first and fore most HOPE, its hope that maybe we won’t have to go to our graves leaving Andrew at the mercy of the system vulnerable, completely dependent on strangers and with no voice! it’s being able to sleep just little bit sounder for that hope, its joy at seeing you're sons who are only 2 years apart actually playing together properly for the first time, it’s looking forward to what his teachers have wrote about his day in his communication book instead of dreading it, it’s being able to sit next to your brother without him ether hitting you or getting up to leave, it’s not having to explain to your teachers that you're brother ate you're homework.......again . It’s looking forward to the short term future and its hope that one day we won’t be reduced to tears every time we even begin to contemplate the long term future

The treatment is ...Stem-Cells!

I’ve explained what it is and what it means to us as a family. Rather than try and explain Stem-Cells, and the science behind it and why scientists believe that the treatment is beneficial to children with regressive Autism, I'll provide links too easy to understand articles and videos at the bottom.

To kick off the fund raising off, I (Andrews mum) will be taking part in this http://www.majorseries.com/obstacles a 10k assault course. On Saturday the 6th of June

https://www.cirm.ca.gov/our-progress/stories-hope-...

http://stemcells.nih.gov/info/scireport/Pages/2006...