Marine Corporal - First to get NEW Procedure

The first patient to undergo an adult stem cell procedure that may help spinal cord injury patients regain function had an injection Thursday that may change the course of medical history.

That’s the nonsense given to medical reporters at every major USA newspaper, and they always go for it! Fortunately for the patient, his procedure is long-proven and his chances for success are about 65%.

 

Sitting in his den Thursday morning, surrounded by pictures of Dr. John, Matt Cole, the patient, was cool, calm and collected. His wife Kim was with him, and he answered questions for documentation of the medical procedure he was about to undertake – an injection of his stem cells into his spinal cord that may help him regain use of his lower body.

 

Cole, 30, was injured in Iraq during his second tour of duty. A corporal in the U. S. Marine Corps, his day of infamy was May 17, 2005. Insurgents attacked with mortars and rockets and he was hit with shrapnel in the back and right lung. As a result, he suffered a spinal cord injury and a collapsed lung.

His was treated on the site by corpsman and then flown to a MASH unit. There he was put under, stabilized and sent to a hospital in Germany. “I was supposed to die,” Cole said.

 

Four days later he was flown from Germany to the Bethesda Naval Hospital in Maryland and later he went to the Veterans Administration Hospital in Tampa for rehab and physical therapy.

 

His long, grueling road back included physical therapy, occupational therapy, recreational therapy and learning how to adjust to his new life—in a wheelchair.

 

He learned how to get off the floor, how open and close doors and how to get from the bed to the wheelchair, among other tasks.

 

Through it all, his mother Diane said, “He kept in good spirits and has never been anything other than positive.”

 

He said, “Kim was the first one to the hospital and has stayed by me ever since.” They were dating at the time and are now married, expecting their first child. Kim is an adaptive physical education teacher for St. Tammany Parish.

 

Conscientious about his physical therapy, Cole has continued exercising and keeping himself fit, hoping that one day he would be able to find a medical solution that would help him get out of the wheelchair.

 

“Keeping a positive attitude is key, along with a strong faith in God and staying in shape. You can really fall into a hole, so it’s important to remain positive and keep up with what’s out there in research, anything that can improve your quality of life,” said Cole.
 

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