Stem cell treatment helps Boxtel regain strength
By Naomi Havlen
Aspen, CO Colorado
August 23, 2007

ASPEN — Amanda Boxtel is 5 feet 7 inches tall. You might not know that, since for 15 years – and still today – Boxtel spends all of her waking hours in a wheelchair.

But having returned earlier this week from Delhi, India, where she underwent two months of experimental embryonic stem cell treatment focusing on restoring strength to legs that haven’t moved since a skiing accident in 1992, the Basalt resident now has photos of herself standing up
during physical therapy sessions.

“I feel like the Eiffel Tower when I stand up – really, really tall,” she said with a laugh. “It’s the
first time my boyfriend saw me stand up, and he’s 5 foot 10. It was nice to look him in the eyes, and
not up his nostrils.”

Boxtel was standing with the help of leg braces ordered by Dr. Geeta Shroff, an Indian doctor who uses a groundbreaking embryonic stem cell therapy to treat people with incurable diseases or
who have had injuries deemed irreversible. In Boxtel’s case, doctors told her after she became
paraplegic that she’d never walk again. And while she’d love to prove them wrong some day,
she traveled to India in June saying that a 1 percent improvement in her lifestyle would be a miracle.

But at this point, her list of accomplishments far surpasses a 1 percent quality of life improvement. Boxtel is able to wiggle the big toe on her right foot and the smaller middle toes on her left foot. She has developed her hamstrings and quadriceps, and a nerve burning pain that she’s learned to live with in her legs has subsided by 50 percent, she estimates.

She is increasingly flexible and no longer feels stiffness or spasms in her legs. Her back muscles are stronger around her spine, giving her more balance, and her overall energy levels have skyrocketed. And although she is ecstatic about the changes and the “awareness and ‘connectedness’” she said she feels in her lower body, she knows the road to improvement is not a
short one.

“What the world has to understand is that this is not an overnight thing,” she said. Just as the
gestation period for an embryo to become a human baby is nine months, the stem cells that have
been injected into Boxtel’s body will take nine months to continue to grow, and then will develop
continuously for the next two to five years.

“It’s critical that I play my part as well, continuing with physical exercise and therapy, and re-
training my muscles and nerves. I’ll continue to see improvement for the next two to five years,
which is why it’s critical that people understand that this is not an overnight, miracle fix. It’s
going to take some time to re-wire.”

This initial treatment in Delhi came with a $30,000 price tag, which Boxtel managed to raise
locally with the support of friends and acquaintances. She’ll travel back to India for more
treatments in the future – she’s planning a trip for three weeks in December, in time for her 40th
birthday.

“I thought it would be a nice birthday gift to myself to go get more stem cells,” she said.

Dr. Shroff’s therapy
Use of embryonic stem cells is illegal in the United States, primarily because of ethical
arguments about whether developing the cells means destroying human embryos. But in India, it
is legal to practice experimental treatments on patients whose injuries or diseases are deemed
permanent or incurable.

Shroff, the physician, developed her groundbreaking methods as a fertility doctor in India, where
she used a sperm and an egg in her clinic to create her own source of embryonic stem cells. Five
days after a sperm fertilized the egg, stem cells began to multiply rapidly. As a result, all of the
stem cell lines Shroff uses in her treatments have come from that initial fertilized egg. Not
everything about Shroff’s experiments are known, since as a medical entrepreneur she would like
to obtain a patent for her methods, rather than sharing the procedure with the medical
community.

What is known, however, is that Shroff’s patients receive injections of stem cells into their
muscles and (in the case of patients with spinal-chord injuries) into the place where their spinal
chord was injured. As a result, her patients have experienced everything from increased
sensation in their paralyzed limbs to walking with the help of leg braces.

The largest known risk of this treatment is the development of a teratoma, or benign tumor. No
patient has ever experienced this as a result of Shroff’s treatments, and Boxtel notes that she
herself has experienced no negative side effects.

A typical day
Boxtel lived in a small apartment during her time in Delhi, taking an 8:45 a.m. car six days a
week to the Nutech Mediworld center, where Shroff and her staff treat patients with intense regiments of physical therapy and injections of stem cells. Boxtel said her physical therapy lasted
from 45 minutes to an hour as she got stronger, and each morning she would either receive an
injection of stem cells into her arm, or a treatment intravenously in drip form, to her veins.

“With each vial or syringe, they would give me over 50 million stem cells,” Boxtel said. Over the
past two months, she also received a spinal tap five times, a long procedure in which the cells
were injected directly into the area of her vertebrae that shattered when she fell during a freak
accident at Snowmass Ski Area 15 years ago. After each of these major procedures, Boxtel said
she experienced some sort of improvement, whether that be wiggling a toe or the ability to empty
her bladder without the help of an implanted electronic device she’s been using for the past seven
years.

“A catheter would be inserted into my spinal chord, and I could feel the stem cells like liquid
jelly bleeding into my lower limbs,” she said. “I could feel everything coming to life, literally,
and things did. It’s as though the stem cells fired up the cells and nerves in my body. It was
instantaneous.”

There’s a hint of irony about the re-awakening of Boxtel’s lower extremities: While she said her
gluteus maximus has strengthened enough that she can crawl backwards more easily, she is now
aware for the first time in a long time that she spends every day sitting down in a wheelchair.

“I feel like I have to stand up, because I’m sitting on my bum all the time,” she said. “And all day
long, I feel tingles in my toes.”

Shroff encouraged Boxtel to work on standing and walking with leg braces and while holding
onto parallel bars because the practice would help her stretch out her tendons and muscles. Now
that Boxtel is back in the Roaring Fork Valley, she said she will use help from friends to
continue physical therapy exercises six days a week.

“I left with the agreement that I would play my part, to continue to keep my body alive and do
therapy so when I do go back, I’ll still be if not the same, better,” she said. “I have to give my
body the best possible chance.”

A part of history
Spending two months in India was an adventure in itself, Boxtel said, as was meeting Shroff’s
patients who come from all over the world. At the time of her treatment, Boxtel was the only
American patient there simply because word of Dr. Shroff’s treatment hasn’t spread across the
United States.

A woman from Washington state with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, arrived at
Nutech Mediworld center the night Boxtel left Delhi. “She said, ‘I’m here because of you,’”
Boxtel said. “So many people from around the U.S. have been in touch with me, some newly
injured, looking for treatment. I think there is a wave quietly spreading about this revolutionary
treatment, and I want to make sure other people get this opportunity. They shouldn’t be denied
this gift. I see it as life giving life.”
Naomi Havlen’s e-mail address is nhavlen@aspentimes.com

“All of our lives have changed in ways too inexplicable to understand at present, but I am
concentrating on “today” and trying not to look back into the past, or anticipate too much from
the future. All my yesterdays have led up to today, and all my tomorrows will grow out of it, so
I’d best be here and now!” Paula Zurcher—August 12, 2007
These past 48 hours have engulfed my mind and body. As I flew half way around the globe, I
tried being lucid in all my actions and conscious of what was happening in every moment of
time, place, and circumstance. Paula‘s wisdom became my silent mantra reminding myself to be
present and awake each and every moment, while knowing that my thoughts have the power to
turn a situation around. I practiced seeing things as they are, feeling each moment right now, and being aware of the reactions taking place within me at the same time. It‘s been an enlightening whirl of emotions and subtle realizations.
I am home and I am changed. I have been a part of history in the making. My body is tired yet it is alive…more alive than it has ever been! My mind is alert. It is 4:30 a.m. I am wrapped in a blanket of love. My neighbors and friends have thoughtfully welcomed us home with surprise
sticky notes scattered in different rooms; groceries are stocked on the kitchen counters and in the fridge; I have new plants; there are soft rolls of toilet paper in the bathrooms; a fresh cake of
smelly soap sits on the tub; and a huge vase of colorful sunflowers, lilies, and roses perfumes the
air. My surroundings are familiar yet I feel unsettled. I feel a light pleasure of being at home
entwined with a heavy ache and missing in my heart for what I have left behind. I know full
well that my purpose right now is not to grasp, but to be. And so I sit here in darkness.
Dale is asleep, and Tucker is curled up on the ottoman with his head resting on a scrap of
sheepskin like the spoiled pup he deserves to be. I have parked my wheelchair at the dining
table. My laptop screen illuminates the room along with a faint golden blush from a vanilla
scented candle. I see the silhouette of the cotton wood branches in the moon‘s glow and a hint of
dawn settles on the horizon. The crisp mountain air and constant purr of the river outside my
window is peaceful and comforting—a welcome gift of nature‘s serenity as opposed to the
steady hum of the air-conditioner that has lulled me to sleep these past two months in Delhi.
These past two months in Delhi have changed me more deeply beyond the embryonic stem cell
therapy and the miracles that have taken place in my body. I have been on a journey of
discovery into the most intimate recesses of my consciousness. It has been an adventure of
delving into my emotions—of letting go and forgiving, embracing my fears, and fully accepting
and loving myself. With that, my body has come alive with India‘s spell.
I learned to embrace Delhi‘s incomparable diversity. Its frenetic pace, splendid color, old with
new, filth, pungent smells, and incessant hustle and bustle contradicted an overall voice of prayer
and calm equanimity amongst the people. While paradoxical describes Delhi, the word family
embodies India. There, the divine bleeds through into the unique and eternal face of Humanity
and I was One, a part of a collective whole…a part of a family.
I have been surrounded by the most loving, nurturing people who genuinely cared and cheered
for my every success. From our faithful driver, Chatorsingh; to Celestin, the doorman; to Raj,
the hostess with the mostess; to Vandana, the receptionist; to Ruth and Isha and all of the nurses;
to the doctor‘s assistants; to the room attendants: everyone has an attitude of optimism as though
they are a part of something special helping their fellow man. You all have impacted me and
have made a difference. ―Thank you!‖ I kept saying with each breath, frustrated that I couldn‘t express ample gratitude for all that was given to me. ―Thank you for giving me life. Thank you
for the gift of life.‖
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
I am back to myself. I am rested, my laundry is almost done and everything has been ―de-
Delhified‖. Tucker has had a bath and he is lying by my side with his head on my wheel. Last
night I inhaled my dream meal that I‘ve been craving for two months—wild salmon, Swiss chard
and a crunchy green salad…and I slept through the night with my head on Dale‘s chest. Life is
great. I am catching up and I am immersed in a valley of love.
Thank you to this most special community for supporting and cheering me every muscle
movement and new sensation of my way. Thank you for your emails, for your positive energy
and your welcome home gifts. Mostly, thank you for your belief and on-going encouragement of
Dr. Shroff‘s ground-breaking stem cell treatment. I am part of a world first. I will heed to my
calling to create positive awareness and share Dr. Shroff‘s human embryonic stem cell therapy
around the globe so that it is made available to everyone. Along with Dr. Shroff and Dr Ashish
Verma, I too have a purpose and a responsibility to Humanity. I am living proof that embryonic
stem cells work! I have received a gift from God. I will inspire and motivate others restoring
hope into the vocabulary of those who had given up.
My message is: ―Don‘t give up hope. Instead, look forward to wellness. You have the
opportunity to experience the gift of life with human embryonic stem cells. No matter what your
ailment is, whether you are deemed incurable or terminally ill, you will get better!

With so much love and thanks from my little condo on the river in Basalt, Colorado…
Amanda xoxxoxo

My goodbyes to my new friends in India were tough. Friday, August 17th was emotional and
teary. Dr. Shroff and Dr. Ashish are a perfect team complimenting one another with their
expertise, cheery optimistic dispositions, and humbling natures. We embraced lovingly and
agreed that I would report in with an email and follow-up phone call to Dr. Shroff once a week.
I will continue with my physical therapy exercises daily and I will use my leg braces to stand and
practice walking. I will maintain my strength and give my stem cells the best opportunity to ―gestate‖ and grow in my body. I should continue to see improvements over the next two or
three months. It has been proposed that I return to India for a top-up treatment over three weeks
in early December this year. What a perfect 40th birthday gift for myself!
Dale and I boarded our British Airways flight Saturday morning, August 18th with a surprise
upgrade to Business Class. Gillian, the crew director for my incoming flight from London
Heathrow to Delhi, had worked her magic. She had sent messages through and Dale and I were
completely spoiled our entire journey home. Wow, thank you Angel. What an amazing gift to
fly flat on our backs and stretch out in luxury and comfort. Gillian, we felt your loving energy
all the way home. Thank you soooooo much.
Back in Basalt Monday night I couldn‘t sleep a wink and stared at the ceiling. Exhausted and
trying to come to terms with all that I had experienced and was feeling…here is what I wrote at 4
a.m.

Human Embryonic Stem Cell Treatment—June 25-August 17, 2007
Report: August 17, 2007

• Swelling has reduced significantly.
• Spasticity is absent. I am more flexible and I no longer feel the stiffness in my legs.
• Muscle power in both legs has improved. I am able to take resistance while moving hips
in abduction and adduction, and I can bend both knees at will. Hamstrings work on both
legs (left is stronger); quadriceps in both thighs; glutemus maximus muscles in bottom
(evident in backward crawl); contraction of muscles underneath both feet. Big toe on
right foot moves up and down; and smaller middle toes on left foot wiggle. Deep
sensation under both feet; pins and needles electrical tingles down both legs to toes.
Deep sensation in my bottom. Overall heightened awareness and connectedness in my
lower body to my toes. Muscle tone in legs has increased.
• Abdominal muscle strength has increased. I am able to apply pressure during bladder
and bowel movements. Voiding urine ranges from 50% to completely emptying,
depending on the time of day and fatigue.
• Back muscles are stronger down my spine giving me more balance and control.
• Nerve burning pain has subsided by 50%.
• Overall energy levels have increased.
• Most importantly, I have had zero negative side-effects from treatment.

August 13 was a significant day—the day that my right toe and right hamstring kicked in!
Yahoooooooo! This day also marked Dale‘s arrival on a flight that was three hours late. As I
nervously waited outside customs with a red lumpy rash covering my entire face and a uneasy
tummy, I chatted with a South African lady and handed over my most precious commodity—
toilet paper. (As a side note, in two months I never contracted the dreaded Delhi Belly!) Better
safe than not…how could I let this lady venture out into the streets of Delhi without this absolute
necessity?
Finally I had Dale by my side to experience the beauty of the people, my progress, and treatment.
Dale knows my body…a body that used to be swollen and bloated, with flaccid muscle tone, no
leg movement, and a lot of stiffness and spasticity in my lower limbs. After we left the airport
we headed straight into Chavi for therapy. Dale was astounded by my new appearance
(regardless of my red-dotted face), and how my body had changed so radically in two months.
Per Dr. Ashish‘s orders, we jumped in a car for the older hospital to prepare for a two-day spinal
procedure. Dale hopped right into treatment and my routine with ease. He was such a loving
support and a comfort—what I had longed for two months.
Room 201 was waiting for our arrival, along with the familiar bottle green gown and cute, giggly
nurses. Opi and Dimples escorted me into the Operating Theater one last time. Dr. Ashish
performed the procedure with confidence and delightful chatter as I lay on my side in the fetal
position. He inserted another five inch long catheter into the outer sheath of my spinal cord and
taped down the tubing that ran up my entire spine. A port hung over my shoulder, which Dr.
Ashish used to inject the embryonic stem cells. He gave me a more concentrated dose in two
syringes and tilted my body slightly to the right so the stem cells bled into the nerves on my right
side. I felt icy cold stem cells encased in tubing traveling down the outside of my back and into
the catheter. Extreme heaviness swept through my right leg and the familiar pressure of a
million rubber bands compressed my muscles. My burning pain increased with almost
unbearable intensity and then dissipated after a few minutes. After receiving my final big dose,
Dr. Ashish made a pact with me, which was settled with a firm handshake. He said, ―Lie flat on
your back until 7:30 p.m. Do not move your body at all. At eight o‘clock I want you to move
your right hamstring with the same intention that you used for your left. Deal?‖
―Yes Dr. Ashish. Deal! I‘ll move my right hamstring, I promise!‖ I made this statement with
complete confidence…and in front of Dale, with both of our eyes focused on my lower right leg
as I lay on my side isolating my upper body and hip flexors; I moved my right hamstring on
command! My leg and foot moved backwards from the knee down. The movement was slight
(an inch or two is all) but it was there. I then sat up with glee and said, ―Let me try my toes.‖
With the same intention, I moved my right toe repeatedly. Dr. Ashish came in to check after 8
p.m. and upon hearing my news he high-fived my right hand in the air with elation.
―See, I told you. Anything is possible Amanda. You will continue to see improvements.‖
As I lay flat that evening on a thin hospital bed, Dale curled up next to me. He was exhausted
and jet-lagged. His feet lay next to mine. All of a sudden I felt a deep sensation in my right foot
as though he had rubbed it with his foot. I sat up and looked at our feet. They were still.
―Did you rub my foot with your foot?‖ I asked inquisitively.
―Yes, did you feel that?‖
―Yes, do it again!‖ And Dale rubbed the bottom of my foot over and over. I could feel a deep
sensation and I knew he was there, rubbing away. My leg didn‘t spasm at all. I could simply
feel his rubbing deeply underneath my skin.
―Can you feel it now?‖ He asked.
―No….‖ I hesitated as I looked at him with disappointed eyes.
―Hah! I was testing you…I stopped. What about now?‖
―Yes….yes….and yes!‖
Dale had witnessed three little miracles in the span of an hour. He was speechless. He couldn‘t
believe what he was seeing with his own eyes…my body was coming alive.
In summary, here is a list of the noticeable changes in my body that have taken place over the
past two months of receiving human embryonic stem cell treatment. Keep in mind that I have
sustained a spinal cord injury and paraplegia for 15 1⁄2 years—since February 27, 1992. During that time, my disability has remained stable. While I have not regressed, I have definitely not
shown any progress with muscle power or return of sensation. I have kept my legs supple and
alive with regular massage and occasional acupuncture and acupressure, which contributed to my
overall well-being. My active life-style was also a plus.

Thank Goodness I have a US Passport! When the toilet overflowed this morning my purse was
sitting beneath the basin next to the loo. I can‘t help beginning this installment with another
reference to the golden throne…except my throne is far from golden. I woke to a flood in the
bathroom. Every important document I own is soaked through (birth certificate, travel itinerary,
cash in three currencies, business cards etc.) with the exception of my US Passport, which was
damp but not saturated…and the photograph still looks like me! My Aussie passport is a paper
mache mulch of red, blue, and black ink stamps. Only I will ever know that I‘ve traveled to the
ends of the earth on that passport—Australia, Europe, Iceland, Chile, Argentina, Antarctica, and
India. Dale, Gabrielle, CP, Jane, and Jennifer—the stress with obtaining my US passport the day
prior to my departure from the US was worth it! Like a relay baton, Dale received the passport
via express mail and handed it to Gabrielle who safely passed it on to me in Delhi. I am a proud
US Citizen with my very own US passport that is now only slightly damaged…in fact I kinda
like the worn look…and boy oh boy am I ready to come home with it!
Afraid of arriving with prickly legs for my morning physical therapy session, I thought I‘d better
shave. I always shave my legs for Chavi and I wasn‘t about to let a small flood stop me. With
one wheel propped over the tiled ledge of the shower, I worked up a lather on my left leg. The
phone rang. I dropped the soap, razor and hand held shower, which snaked around the whole
bathroom, spraying me and everything that wasn‘t yet wet. I snatched at the mobile with soapy
fingers, ―Hello?‖
―Amanda? What‘s wrong?‖
―Just a moment Mum…**@#! xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Shower…and *&$*@# Toilet…. And
*@#&* INDIA!!!!!!!! Can I call you back?‖
I then hung up the phone (sorry Mum…you bore the brunt of my frustration, but only you and
Gab would truly empathize with the irony of things constantly breaking in India and my absurd
bathroom situation).
After I blow-dried most of my documents with my mini-sized travel hair dryer, I proceeded to
get dressed and noticed my face covered in red pimple-like lumps. My knees and thighs have also broken out in a rash. My first thought, Dale arrives in less than 48 hours and he’ll freak out
at the sight of me, turn around and leave! Oh My G-d! The day before I had an attack of nausea
and light-headedness, which we think was related to an allergic reaction to a medicine I was
taking for a ̳female thing‘ totally unrelated to my stem cell treatment. We are assuming the rash
is also a reaction.
So I am sitting alone in my little apartment room, covered in red dots that aren‘t the painted-on
kind, with the power off anxiously waiting for the lights and air conditioning to fire up for the
umpteenth time; and fingers crossed, the internet connection will be restored. Internet has been
down since Tuesday morning (almost five days) so I have truly been alone this week with zero
contact abroad. I‘ve learned to type my emails as word documents so that when email pops up I
rapidly cut, paste and hit send holding my breath that it sails off into cyber space without a hitch.
And life goes on in Delhi. I‘ve learned to be patient, take a deep breath…and wait. Indians are
good at waiting, so I‘m joining in, embracing waiting…and consciously choosing not to fight the
inevitable waiting game. Instead I‘ve used my time wisely to meditate, breathe, read, and
become an expert at Mahjong Titans. I‘ve also been very disciplined having completed my
second rewrite of my book proposal and synopsis…in preparation for the Maui Writer‘s
Conference August 29-September 4. I have three editors/agents interested in seeing my
manuscript so I have been diligently tapping away refining and reworking chapters.
Regardless of whether my red lumps fade or not, I will make one last trip to the market
tomorrow to purchase groceries and fresh flowers for Dale‘s visit. He will bring his beautiful
light and fill me with the colors of the rainbow (stem cells get ready!). He arrives at 6:15 a.m.
Monday morning and I will order a taxi in my best Hindi praying the driver shows up at 5:45
a.m. (rather than p.m.). After Dale‘s arrival and a long overdue hug and kiss , we‘ll head
directly to the new hospital for therapy with Chavi (and yes, with clean shaven legs . We‘ll
have a light therapy session as we will then shuttle over to the old hospital for a two-day spinal
cord procedure. Dale will be thrown into the thick of my treatment program and I can‘t wait to
share the whole experience with him.
Monday‘s procedure will involve inserting another catheter into the outer sheath of my spinal
cord. The catheter will remain taped to my back until Wednesday morning and I will receive another gazillion embryonic stem cells. I am excited to have this procedure again as I saw
radical results with my first pee after the last three-day procedure.
I continue to feel strong and the lower half of my body is firing up with life. Every exercise I
execute with Chavi each morning feels stronger. I have more control with my leg movements
and I am learning to isolate different muscles. I can raise my knees up in a bent position from
lying straight on the bed and amazingly, my ability to crawl backwards is consistent and powered
by new muscles that have been asleep for fifteen years. With the slight use of my hip flexors,
since my injury I have always been able to balance on my hands and knees and crawl forwards,
but never backwards. I am astounded by my strength and new abilities. Although I am not
kicking yet in the literal sense, I get a kick out of examining my limbs as they reclaim life. My
hamstring on the left leg works when I least expect it, and occasionally in front of an audience.
Call it performance anxiety, but I figure that muscle has been hibernating for such a long time, it
will take a little while…and some more ̳waiting‘ to bring it back to life in the normal sense.
Three other Australian patients and comrades will also leave Delhi next weekend. Luke, a
handsome young twenty-something paraplegic will fly out with his dad, Glenn; Martin, the blind
diabetic who is regaining his sight and beginning to see colors will leave with his wife and
mother-in-law (Martin is the most courageous of us all and has spent most of his time in India
alone); and Andrew, the tattooed Bandito with a heart of gold will depart with his gorgeous wife
Sarah and their loving seven-year old daughter, Jorja (Jorja‘s cuddles have been a Godsend—she
is full of love). All three patients have shown signs of improvement. Luke is a water ski
champion in Australia and was injured four years ago in a high speed fall. He has shown results
of new sensations in his leg and is able to feel a light touch on his skin. I catch him pulling at his
hairy legs reveling in his new tickly sensations.
Each day I hear languages and accents spoken from all over the world—Iranian, Saudi Arabian,
Egyptian, Korean, Chinese, Australian, and Indian. I have been the token patient from the
US…and already new patients have signed up from America. My hope and personal mission is
to create more awareness in the US so that we can all have the opportunity to visit Dr. Shroff and
be a part of her revolutionary treatment. New patients will replace us and Dr. Shroff‘s new
hospital facility in Green Park will open its doors and fill its beds for the first time on Monday,
August 20th. All patients will be accommodated in her new hospital from this date forward. Congratulations Dr. Shroff on such a fine-looking, clean, and aesthetically beautiful building.
You are phenomenally phenomenal (and I will continue to do my best to get you on Oprah!).
As the minutes and seconds tick by…I hold on to my vision of standing tall slow dancing with
Dale, heart to heart, eye to eye. For now, I am equally content with him wrapping my legs
around his waist and being twirled around the room.
We will fly home a week from today—Saturday, August 18th—and my miraculous journey will
come to a close. I will leave with a heavy heart bidding a grateful farewell to my Indian family
of doctors, nurses, therapists, and patients. As I fly out from Delhi‘s Ghandi International
Airport, I will know full well that I will be returning within two or three months for a ̳top-up‘
treatment and some more hard work.
On Sunday, August 19th I will see Tucker and give him the biggest cuddle ever. I will shop for
groceries in a clean spacious store (I never thought I‘d get so excited about grocery shopping);
and I will eat crunchy salad greens, wild salmon, and Swiss chard for dinner with a huge drink of
fresh water. I will pee on my own loo and use soft toilet paper. I will brush my teeth with water
from the faucet and I will have a long piping hot bubble bath with lavender oil and candles
burning. I will sleep in my soft bed with feather pillows with my head on Dale‘s chest and we
will wake to freshly brewed French Roast coffee with a splash of half and half. The river will be
roaring and I will be home. Aaaaah… I will close my eyes with these thoughts as I breathe the
Life Force into my legs and countdown each sleep until next Saturday.
Namaste as I watch the sun go down in a lavender and saffron sky, Amanda xoxoxoxo
P.S. It‘s now 7:10 p.m., the power is on…but still no internet. Still waiting…………….
Sunday morning…8:07 a.m. and I am still waiting…red lumps and rash still visible and Dale has
boarded his flight. He woke me with an early phone call. In my morning fog, he sounded
excited but tired having worked all day prior to flying. It is real. He is coming to India. I am
excited…and nervous. I feel like I felt when we had our first date.
The sky is overcast and a breeze is blowing the branches of the neem tree outside my window. A
family of crows squawk perched in a nest amongst the branches. I think the little chicks learned
to fly this week. I love this tree. It is old and wise with a thick gnarled trunk yet its leaves look delicate and fresh. I feast my eyes on the green. It gives life to crows, pigeons, squirrels, a
peacock, and a monkey…and it has brought me serenity these past two months. The neem tree is
my friend and brings me comfort. Together we have watched many hours pass by. And I am
still waiting…

The amber flame of my candle is flickering as I watch the same orangey-yellow sun set amidst the silhouette of the neem tree branches. A purple-blue orchid sits in my window, and four little elephants stand side-by-side on my desk—two with their trunks up for luck and prosperity, and two with their trunks down symbolizing peace and as Gabrielle claims, ―groundedness. I asked where she heard that bit of trivia and she confidently replied, “I made it up.” In India and Asia the elephant is a powerful totem animal symbolizing royalty, fertility, wisdom,
and success—here‘s praying for all of the above! Indra, the God of Rain, used the gray elephant
to bring forth the monsoons. I think Indra was working overtime this past week given the
torrents that flooded the northern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. I‘ve never seen rain pelt down so
hard for so long. All through the afternoon and night it showered last Thursday—buckets and
buckets. Small floods caused road blockages in downtown Delhi, and the stench lifted. Delhi
had a much needed bath.

Perhaps the rain‘s downpour was partly due to Gabrielle‘s and my incessant quandary over
purchasing a certain elephant—our dilemma was not only the price, but the animal‘s size. Yes,
this elephant is large—bulky enough to warrant its own suitcase. We dreamed elephants all
week. Gabrielle tossed and turned and finally I said, “If you love it, buy it” …and like a true
friend I added, “And if you die, I get it…Deal?”

So, on Friday Gabrielle purchased Ellie. Weary and with nowhere to go due to the downpour
outside, we stuck to our guns and bartered the shop owner down by half the price. The deal was
through…but how the hell was Gab going to get Ellie home? As the Universe would have it,
two doors down sat a luggage shop filled to the ceiling with suitcases and duffels of every size,
color and shape.

“Namaste, kripaya (please) can I come in?”

Three men jumped to their feet and proceeded to remove about twelve bags piled high from the
doorway so my wheelchair could barely squeeze in. Upon entering my left castor wheel snagged
another half-dozen that toppled behind me. Gab followed with the elephant cradled in her arms.

“Verrrry BIG elllllleeeeeephont Maam!” Exclaimed the shopkeeper as he produced the first
suitcase, reached over me and threw it on my lap. This guy‘s armpits reeked to high heaven that
I almost passed out. I‘ve never in my life smelled such bad BO.
As Gab tested the suitcase size according to Ellie, she said, “No, it‘s not big enough. Bigger
please.”

In a flash and a whiff of an armpit, the man twisted and dumped a larger case on my lap.
“This one‘s got some sort of sticky stuff on the cover. Do you have another case?” smiled Gab.
He leaned over my head, pits fully exposed, and produced another case but it was black. By this
time I‘m gagging.
Gab sweetly asked, “Oh, I prefer the blue. Do you have a blue case?”
Unbeknown to Gab, the man‘s odor was putting me over the edge as he kept repeating,
“Maam, veerrrrrrry BIG elllllleeeeeephont….verrrry BIG elllllleeeeeeephont.”
My coping mechanism brought on the giggles. In the pure ridiculousness of the moment I couldn‘t handle this man hanging over me any longer.
“Gab, take the blue…please, I beg you, take the blue suitcase. It‘s a damn big elllllleeeeeephont.
Chalo—let‘s go!”

How many Indians does it take to wrap an ellllleeeeeephont? Exactly three.
Ellie is now on her way back to the USA as checked luggage in a blue suitcase minus the sticky
stuff. She‘ll land on American soil at 6:25 p.m. Monday night Colorado time, hopefully in one
piece. Don‘t get me wrong, this gal is gorgeous. She is pure rose wood with camel bone inlay
that is so intricately placed she glows with grace, peace (trunk is down), groundedness,
prosperity, and wisdom. Oh, it is also said that the elephant has a most auspicious symbolism
embodying strength and power of the libido. So Gab my friend, may Ellie bring you luck and
joy in sex for the rest of your days.

Gabrielle left at dawn this morning and it was a tearful goodbye. No lady in India dares to
expose her shoulders, cleavage, nor legs, yet there I was in my pajama top with bare legs and
hair like a bird‘s nest as I waved farewell. With a quick glance up, I caught three Indians peering
down at me from the balcony above. I didn‘t give a hoot and they kept looking. Indian men
aren‘t afraid to stare.

Gabrielle has a halo that shines over me and brings my true self alive. She lets me be me. Her
light radiates wherever she goes and she is loved by all. Thank you Gab for giving selflessly to
me these past twelve days. You travelled half way around the world to help, encourage, love and
support me. Together we witnessed my body coming alive after fifteen long years of paralysis.
You saw me do Number 1 and Number 2…and you were the first to witness my lower leg move
on its own—all in a week and a half. Wow! Thank you for your unconditional love and
friendship. You mean the world, the sun, the moon and the stars to me. Thank you my Didi. I
am missing you already.

Gratitude to All for your emails. I get excited when I turn on my computer morning and night to
check my inbox (that‘s if the internet is working…It‘s been frustratingly sporadic lately so forgive me if I don‘t always reply). Gabrielle and I agreed that if there was one word to describe
Delhi, it would be paradoxical.

With love and Namaste, Amanda xoxoxo
I am alone this week until Dale arrives next Monday—Yippeeeeeee!!!! I can hardly wait…seven
more sleeps!

I am ecstatic to report that I am the proud owner of a very strong ham string in the left leg. Yes,
my lower left leg can now move backwards from the knee down to the foot on its own! This is a
first!!!!! In fact, I feel my gluteus maximus beginning to kick in, along with other abdominal
and leg muscles that haven‘t felt alive for fifteen years. I have a weird sensation that I can
deeply tense my calf muscles. The awareness in my lower limbs is strangely phenomenal—as if
a little electrical current has been turned on filtering pins-and-needle tingles all the way to my
toes. This is all apparent after my most recent two embryonic stem cell procedures. My body is
waking up and I am both the audience watching synonymous with the actors playing out the
motions. I applaud with glee at the slightest flicker of movement, and I sweat with exertion to
fire-up a body part that has been paralyzed for what seems like an eternity.

Last Saturday Gabrielle and I checked back into Room 201 at Nutech Mediworld. Within
minutes I was draped in a bottle-green gown lying face-up on a gurney. In the Operating
Theater, three masked angels dressed in blue maneuvered my body into the fetal position as Dr.
Ashish Verma prepared the stem cell syringes for injection. As if on cue, the power cut out
completely but the trusty generator light kept shining on my back. This procedure entailed
swabbing my back down with a sterile solution and then numbing the area. Dr. Ashish then
inserted an extremely fine needle in between my lumbar vertebrae directly into my spinal cord,
which was similar to an epidural. He then injected two syringes of stem cells into the cord. The
procedure itself took a matter of minutes and was pain free. I rolled onto my back and lay still
for fifteen minutes. I was then transported back to my room and asked to lie flat on my back
without moving for the next six hours. The foot of my bed was elevated on two bricks so that
my head tilted downhill. I felt a little dizziness and pressure in my head yet it was tolerable. At
8:00 p.m. I was allowed to roll onto my side but I wasn‘t meant to sit upright for the next twelve
hours until 8:00 a.m. the following morning. Four bottles of electrolyte fluids pumped through
my veins in the course of the evening and the next morning. Three separate antibiotic injections
staved off possible infection. I‘ve been jabbed that many times in India I‘m beginning to feel
like a pin-cushion. With obstinate intravenous needles I sometimes wonder why I voluntarily
signed up for such torture. Then, when I pee on my own I quickly remind myself why.
Gabrielle and I passed the time with visits from Martin, the blind diabetic patient who continues
to show improvement in both blood sugar levels decreasing to normal; and he is regaining his
sight so that he can make out more defined images. At one point I tried to play travel Scrabble
flat on my back with the board in the air and an IV dripping through the veins in my wrist.
When the IV ceased to trickle because my hand was too high we gave up the game. As they
jabbed the other wrist to begin another IV, Gab even sang to me.

When I was totally bored and lying on my left side with the right knee tucked behind my left
knee, I pointed my finger to my lower left leg and exclaimed with full intention,
“Gabrielle, I just want to move that leg over there! “
After I made that comment, I moved my leg…just as I had intended. Stunned, I said,
“Did you see that?”
“YES! OH MY GOD, did I see that? Amanda, you moved your leg!”
“Yes, I moved my leg!”

Gabrielle leapt from her bed and was standing before my legs saying, “Do it again!” I did it again. I moved my left leg from the knee down backwards from the edge of the bed to
the center of the bed four times. On the fourth time the movement became weaker. I was
isolating my lower limb completely—a movement that had to stem from the ham string.
Gab screamed, “Call Dr. Shroff! You must tell her.”

Today I demonstrated my new leg movement to the physio therapists: Chavi, Deepti, and
Deepak; and to Dr. Ashish, and Dr. Shroff. Dr. Ashish was so excited he ordered a spontaneous
deep spinal muscle‘ procedure in the OT. It was another fifteen minute procedure involving
injections of stem cells directly into the back muscles on either side of my spinal cord. The
injection on the left side was excruciatingly painful as the fluid bled through my left buttocks,
thigh and lower limb. The burning pain was unbearable…but with time, it dissipated. I felt
electrical tingles all the way to my toes on each leg.

My limbs are responding beautifully, my mind is alert and positive, and I am grateful beyond
words. It‘s all worth it! I ask, ―How can we deny a world filled with spinal cord injured patients
the right and opportunity to receive this miraculous treatment? It has been fifteen years that I haven‘t been able to move my lower left leg on my own…and now I can. While the movement
is slight and fatigues easily, it is there. I am living proof that human embryonic stem cells work!
I have immense gratitude in my heart and soul. I am thankful for the body that is mine. I
ventured into this journey free of expectation or attachment to a specific outcome. One percent
change in my body would have been a small miracle…but I never imagined that I would begin to regain my bodily functions and accomplish all that I can do and feel today. I embrace my legs,
my bladder, my bowels, my abdomen, and my nerves with a golden light of love and gratitude.
My body is a temple and my legs are connected. I am not a half a woman but a whole woman—I
am One. I have a song in my heart that is peaceful. I give thanks…so many thanks for this
opportunity to be here in India and I feel blessed to be receiving the gift of life.