Kevin Babington, paralyzed from a spinal cord injury after a fall last August, has been to the famed Mayo Clinic to be considered for a clinical trial, and that mission was accomplished, according to his wife, Dianna. That trial is phase two of a trial that had some positive results in phase one.
“We will need to return to Minnesota a few times this year. Once to get Adipose cells pulled, so stem cells can be cultured, and then back again for treatment once they are ready,” she said.
“The cells get put directly into the spinal cord. It’s a chance to boost his healing. It’s not a guarantee of anything, but we are still grateful for a chance. We will stay in Minnesota for a few weeks at that time. I will rotate with others because we will keep our business running.”
She explained, “What we accomplished while we were there was getting a handle on how to control/ manage the pain and spasticity Kevin deals with daily. We had great direction on medication combos and some techniques for pain management. He had medical evaluation from top to bottom and he remains in fantastic physical shape. No lung or bladder atrophy, no cardiac issues. We had some input on diaphragm strengthening and will purchase a small device out of the UK to make him stronger. He had a sleep study done and he literally didn’t sleep one minute. Slept like a log through both consultations (before and after the test) with the sleep doctor who thought that was quite funny.”
Dianna believes that at thsi time, her job is “to keep him in the best physical condition to prepare him for whatever recovery he is capable of obtaining. This way he will be in shape for the physical therapy demands that await after the treatments. The researchers said he was a great fit because he has the mental fortitude of an Olympic athlete and that the demands will be great once the trial starts.”
She noted that “spinal cord injury is not quiet paralysis. It is an arduous daily struggle of spasticity and pain. There are times the body just locks up or recoils in a way that bends you like a spoon and the contractions feel like a strap that is a close second to an Anaconda around his chest. It is hard to live with and hard to watch as a family member. Thank God for Wendy Coren and Barbara Foose, who work on him for relief.”
Dianna and her family and friends have put enormous effort into helping Kevin.
“There are days I feel so overwhelmed because the road seems too long and too difficult. Nothing is fast enough, nothing is guaranteed and it’s maddening and frightening. But then I look to Kevin and he is handling this like it’s just his job right now. He’s never cross or mean. Doesn’t bemoan his lot in life and just gets on with it.
“People say he is a role model… you have no idea. He is the true example of a Champion and a role model. I have not heard him complain once. Of course he’d rather not be paralyzed and we talk about many things but what is absent is the complaining. The most he says is how much he misses riding and how he hopes he can some day. Many of his friends can confirm that. He’s just patient and tolerant to a degree I can’t believe. I am so impressed with his ability to survive and to just move forward. I believe he is teaching so many to stay positive in the face of adversity so at least there is some good to be gained from such devastation.”