Incredible New Treatment Helps Man Walk

40 year old Darek Fidyka, from Poland, has received ground breaking new treatment to help him walk again after a knife attack four years ago resulted in paralysis.

Darek was stabbed repeatedly in the back in an attack which severed his spinal chord.  As a result he was left paralysed from the chest down and relied on a wheelchair to get around.

Specialist Treatment

Specialist surgeons in Poland collaborated with scientists from University College London’s Institute of Neurology to develop the treatment.  The team took olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) – specialist cells that form part of your sense of smell – to use as pathway cells to allow his body to renew nerve fibres.  The treated OECs were transplanted into Darek’s spinal chord alongside four thin strips of nerve tissue taken from his ankle.

The combination of OECs and nerve fibres allowed the injury to reconnect and bridge the gap in his spinal chord.  After the incident Darek had not been able to walk for nearly two years and had shown no sign of improvement despite months of rehabilitation and physiotherapy.

Never Give Up

His exercise program continued after his surgery and three months later he began to notice the muscle growing in this left thigh.  Now almost two years after treatment Darek can walk using a frame.  He comments: “I still tire after walking, but I think it’s realistic that one day I’ll become independent.  I’ve learnt never to give up and keep fighting.”