NeuroGen Brain & Spine Institute helps paraplegic winner of Shaurya Chakra Award get functional independence

Manish Singh, a 26 year old, was recently awarded in January  2013 the Shaurya Chakra award at the hands of President, Pranab Mukherjee. He was posted in the Indian Army in Kashmir and had been severely injured on September 25, 2012 during the militants attack. He sustained a spinal cord injury at the age of 24, due to a gunshot. The injury occurred at the D-12 spinal level, making him paraplegic with loss of bowel and bladder functions. He was operated three days after the injury. The procedure used was exploratory laprotomy at the L1 vertebrae and bilateral thoractomy with canal decompression, pedicular screw and rod fixation at the D12-L2 level.

After the two operations, although his upper extremities were normal, there was severe trauma in the lower extremities. He suffered from loss of sensation and motor control before the navel where even basic functions like sitting up on the bed and turning around were affected with loss of independence. He could not ambulate or stand with balance , even with the help of external aids inspite of being on rehabilitation.

One of his friends, looking at his terrible condition, got in touch with NeuroGen Brain and Spine Institute and got him admitted for stem cell therapy and rehabilitation.

Dr Alok Sharma, Professor & Head of Neurosurgery, LTMG Hospital & LTM Medical College, Sion Mumbai and Director NeuroGen Brain & Spine Institute said, “At NeuroGen, he was put on an extensive rehabilitation programme following stem cell therapy and was taught bed mobility techniques like rolling, getting up from lying down position as well as transfer techniques like transfer from bed to wheel chair and vice versa, wheelchair to car and so on. He was given gait training by the most senior therapist of the institute who has trained more than 500 patients of spinal cord injury. Captain Singh was taught ambulation with walker and special aids like push knew splints and balance training to improve trunk balance. Immediately after stem cell therapy he showed several improvements. Currently, looking at the improvements personally, Captain Singh has come for the third time for stem cell therapy cum rehabilitation treatment.”

Captain Singh said, “I am extremely happy and satisfied that now I have become independent. I still aspire to do the same work as I was doing earlier before the injury. But for now, I would like to start training again especially in shooting and want to represent the country at the Commonwealth games and similar events.”

Dr Alok Sharma further concluded, “For all those millions of patients who had told by us earlier that nothing can be done medically for your illness, we can now say to you with reasonable confidence that with the availability of stem cell therapy, combined with neurorehabilitation, Achhe Din Aane Wale Hain! “.

EH News Bureau