Mother Travels from Cameroon for a Complex Stem Cell Procedure in India and Finds the Ideal Treatment for Her Child

From the day of his birth Baby Guy Merlin had problems with his health. Now at 9 months old, the toddler faces growth related difficulties. We spoke to Baby Merlin’s mother Grace Merlin about her son’s Stem Cell treatment in India and how it has changed the lives of both mother an son for the better.   

 

Please tell me a little about yourself?

My name is Grace Merlin and I come from Cameroon. I have traveled to India for Stem Cell Therapy for my 9-month-old Baby Guy Merlin.

 

Tell me a little about Baby Merlin’s medical condition?

He has several diagnoses, over the months we heard very different diagnosis. Eventually, a neurologist in Cameroon suggested he had developmental issues. For his age he had grown very little, he also had problems stabilizing himself and would often tumble without support. It has been hard for me to watch my son in that state. Many people who have children like mine or perhaps are in a worse situation than me, know what our life looks like and that this child of mine will experience difficulties in his life. Of course, my wish is that he gets better and we try as much as we can to find if there is anything that we could do for him or not.

 

How did you address the problem?

In the beginning we addressed here and there, we did not know what to do - however, I want to thank God, because the merits belong to him, not to me. God was generous toward us to let us meet best Hematologist in India- Dr. Alok Sharma. we met him and our hearts were filled with hope that it is possible for him to have almost normal life, or perhaps even normal life. Of course, we were surprised because we had fears to come here to Mumbai, India, as everyone knows, of course, how difficult it is for us to come to a country like this because of the information placed to us. However, thanks to God, we haven't had any problems.

 

Why did you choose India for the treatment?

Initially, our Case Manager Ms. Tamanna gave us multiple options to choose from, we eventually decided to go with NeuroGen Brain and Spine Institute in Mumbai as we didn't want to compromise on the treatment. We were told that the hospital was among the best for this kind of procedure.  

 

How has your experience been?

Everything was very usual from arrival to the airport to arrival to this hospital itself, respect has been shown to me, I had no discomfort, neither me nor my family, thanks to God. At the clinic we were, as I already said, surrounded by kindness, they treated me warmly, I didn't feel as if I was a stranger, on the contrary, I felt that they wanted to help me.

I met Dr. Sharma, who is in charge of stem cells; he answered all my questions with enthusiasm. Of course, I know that all parents and all mothers have a lot of questions, and I can't explain it in detail, however, all employees are really, really able to give answers to all questions.

 

Tell us a little about the procedure?

Stem cells, yes, we call that surgery, and we are scared of the word surgery, but this is actually not a surgery, in the way many believe it is, although I would not like to make a comparison, to me it sounded like a nutritious injection.

It was a very simple procedure, my child is, as I already said, two years old, he got a light dose of anaesthesia, the procedure was done with this solution, of course, it was very simple, and he did not have any problems. Thanks to God Almighty, no negative state or negative symptoms occurred. The hospital staff was afraid of the temperature, fortunately, it did not occur to my son, it was all very normal and there were no complications after the procedure with stem cells.

 

How does Baby Merlin feel today?

His speech is much better than before. He interacts more and plays alone unlike before. His hearing is still not as good as is his sight - he can follow objects but we still need to check how much he can see. But the hearing will be big problem.

 

Would you recommend treatment in India to your friends & family?

Most certainly. Besides the professional hospital care we received from the best hematology hospitas in India, I think physiotherapists in India are much better and experienced. I was also very touched by the personal care and attention provided by the Vaidam staff.