Mariella
Serafini, 14th March 2010
Giulia Serafini, Age 78, Dementia Before Stem
Cell Therapy
One day I noticed that my mother began to
forget things. During the following months,
step by step, the disease affected her walking
until she was ultimately confined to a
wheelchair. I remember that her walking was
tentative due to hallucinations and imaginary
hurdles. She could only manage a few steps,
leaning on two people with bent legs almost
touching almost the ground. Sometimes, when
there was only one person to hold her, she
would fall down on the ground crying, yelling
and calling "mummy". Up to three people were
needed to take her to bed or to the
restroom.
She used to have hallucinations all the time.
Even when sitting on the sofa, she was looking
for "something" or trying to catch and throw
away imaginary threads. In addition to that,
she used to speak unintelligibly; uttering
absolute nonsense.
She used to look anywhere, talking to imaginary
people with her eyes and mouth wide open and
salivating from time-to-time. She recognized
neither relatives nor even herself. She did not
recognize her own possessions. She stopped
eating. When she did eat, it could have
anything at any time, even inedible objects.
She had lost all sense of modesty.
She became permanently incontinent. She would
curl up while lying in bed; her muscles as
stiff as wood. If we tried to stretch her arms
and legs, she would scream at us. Her cognitive
functions were so impaired that she would not
respond to normal stimuli. She would not eat or
drink. During the daytime, all she did was
scream and cry, calling or seeing dead people
for hours. During a brief period of time she
did not sleep, even after taking prescription
medication. Her face had lost all expression
and emotion and she began losing a lot of
weight.
It was at this point that I made the decision
to take her to XCell-Center for a stem cell
treatment even though our doctors, professors
and even by my brother disagreed and tried to
dissuade me.
After Stem Cell Therapy
When we arrived at the XCell-Center Giulia did
nothing but scream. However, just one hour
after her lumbar puncture procedure, I
approached her bed and asked her if she knew
who I was. She replied, "You are my little
daughter." I asked her if she knew my name and
she told me, "You are my Mariellina."
"...my mother has regained the ability to
...recognize close relatives...
With tears in my eyes, I asked her, "Mamma, do
you know where we are?" She answered, "We are
in a hospital in Germany." She also recognized
the doctor who had just performed her lumbar
puncture.
Later that evening at the hotel, she slept
throughout the night without showing any side
effects. The following day, she was able to go
to the restroom by herself. She had not felt
the urge to go to the bathroom in a long time.
She walked to the bathroom without hesitation.
While in the bathroom, she recognized her face
in the mirror and then tried to arrange her
disheveled hair. She even showed interest in
personal hygiene. During the trip back to
Italy, she made conversation and sang songs
with me; clapping her hands correctly to the
rhythm.
During the following months, my mother has
regained the ability to select food, eat by
herself, and recognize close relatives, our
house and her belongings.
Now, only at night when she is very tired, she
sometimes shows past symptoms of hallucinations
and detachment.
In general, I can say that after stem cell
therapy, her memory has improved
(dreams/events/ prayers/ music/films). Her
physical abilities, have improved. She is
walking more steadily. She is more stable
emotionally as well. To me these are all
positive signs of cell regeneration; especially
in comparison to my mother`s physical and
emotional condition prior to treatment.
*Original Italian Composition by Mariella, Mrs.
Serafini's Daughter
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