To all the stem-cell nay-sayers out there: just LOOK at this girl and realize that it was stem cell research that resulted in a better life for her! Of course, they didn’t use embryonic stem cells… but still!
Hannah Warren is a 2 year-old girl that was born without a windpipe, and has been unable to breathe, eat, drink or swallow on her own since she was born in South Korea in 2010. She just had a new windpipe grown from her own stem cells. Absolutely incredible!
The stem cells came from her own bone marrow, specifically from her hip bone. Are you ready to have your mind blown? They put the cells in a plastic scaffold and then LESS THAN A WEEK later they created a new windpipe! It looks like a 3-inch tube of penne, and took nine hours to implant!
Apparently the new windpipe is working, even though she’s still on a ventilator, just in case. They expect her to go home and lead a normal life soon — in about a month, right before she turns 3!
So fab! We wish you all the luck in the world, Hannah!!
[Image via AP Images.]
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