Riaan is raising funds to visit Shijiazhuang in Chinato receive Stem Cell Therapy.
Why?
Riaan is believed to suffer from Ataxia, a deteriorating nervous system disorder which consists of a gross lack of muscle coordination that causes poor balance. More information about Ataxia here.
Why stem cell therapy?
Stem cell therapy has shown tremendous improvement in people who suffer from Ataxia and other neurological conditions. There is no cure for Riaan's condition and stem cell therapy is, for the moment, his only hope.
What are stem cells?
Please click on the "What are stem cells" link at the top for more information or you can click here to visit the page. There are some great animations and video links to explain stem cells in detail.
What are Riaan's symptoms?
Riaan has very little muscle strenght and walks with great difficulty. His leg
muscles are very weak; he has difficulty standing up for long periods of time. He has very poor balance when walking and cannot walk for long distances.
He suffers from a lack of concentration, especially when needed for complex tasks such as studying or playing an inst rument.
He slurs his speech, most notably after an extended period of physical activity.
Which tests were performed on Riaan?
Neurologists performed the following tests: MRI, CT scan, EEG, Lumbar Punch (Spinal Tap) and numerous blood tests. None of these test showed any abnormalities. Ataxia symptoms quite ofen do not show up on scans.
What led us to stem cell treatment?
We watched a documentary about Stem Cell treatment in China on a National Geographic program. We immediately contacted Stem Cell Treatment Programs in China.
Riaan was accepted for treatment by Dr. Kara Zhang, who works for Beike Biotech, the Stem Cell company which will perform the stem cell treatment.
How much does Riaan need for the treatment?
He needs R225 000 ($29 500). The amount raised will cover all his expenses, including flight, accommodation and the treatment itself. Riaan is also allowed to take a companion with him who will also stay in the treatment center free of charge.
What will the treatment consist of?
It will consist of 6 umbilical chord (adult) stem cell injections over a period of 30 days. During this time he will also receive physical rehabilitaion. Riaan has been accepted for treatment at the Bethune International Peace Hospital in Shijiazhuang, China.
Is there any other cure for Ataxia?
None that we know of. From what we understand is that Riaan's condition is related to the nervous system. Most nervous system disorders such as Ataxia, Parkinson's disease or Multiple Sclerosis are incredibly difficult to treat, which is were stem cell treatment comes in. Stem cell treatment have shown tremendous improvement in patients with nervous system disorders, and as for now it is Riaan's only hope for a cure, or at the very least a hope for an improvement in his condition. You can find more information on nervous system disorders here.
Which remedies have we tried? We have tried Glyconutrients, a product which is suppose to help make the body manufacture it’s own Stem Cells, but it does not work for everyone and hasn't worked for Riaan thus far.
We have also been on the Scio, a revolutionary device which scans the brain and body for weaknesses and then try to balance the energy fields within the body, but it was not effective and Riaan’s condition continued to deteriorate while he was on the Scio program.
Is Stem Cell treatment a definite cure for Riaan's illness?
No. Riaan's condition has to do with the nervous system. Many - or most - nervous system disorders are very difficult to treat. There is no guarantee that the treatment will work 100%. There is also no other treatment available for Riaan's condition. Stem cell treatment seemed to us the only option available in the light of the fact that it has proved to be of benifit to other patients with similiar illnesses to his.
What now? There is nothing we can do but wait for the generosity of sponsors/donations. We continue to send out letters to people whom we think might be able to help, such as major corporations or famous people who might shine a light on our cause.
Riaan needs publicity...
These days people are very reluctant to donate money to causes. However, what we have learned over the past few years of raising funds is that publicity works. The more publicity one's cause receives, the better the chance of people donating, especially if the publicity comes from a respected news organisation.
We have tried several times over the past few years to get Riaan's story into the major newspapers and television, but the problem is that stem cell treatment - although effective - is not very well known as a cure, especially in South Africa, thus popular newspapers refuse to get involved. We have received some publicity, most notably from smaller newspapers, but it didn't help much. We have contacted several radio stations, but they too refuse to get involved since Stem cell treatment is not well known in SA.
Recently Noleen from SABC 3's "3 Talk with Noleen" had a full hour's discussion on stem cell treatment. It was a very informative program and we believe the first time in South Africa that stem cells were discussed on national television. It looks like stem cell treatment is finally receiving the attention it deserves. This is certainly good news.
If you are aware of anybody who might be interested in hearing/publicising Riaan's story please forward Riaan's information to them or contact us, we would really appreciate it.
Listen to Riaan's advertisement on Bosveld Stereo. Here is the ad in full. (Unfortunately it is only available in Afrikaans)
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