In 2012, when Captain Manish Singh was left paralysed by a militant attack in Kashmir, little did the 26-year-old know that cutting-edge technology at a city hospital will put him back on his feet. Singh, who was posted in Jammu and Kashmir by the Indian army, was gravely hurt in a terrorist attack. A bullet, shot by a militant, severely injured his spinal cord, thus rendering him immobile. While undergoing treatment at a hospital in Srinagar, where he slipped into coma, the doctors concluded that Singh will never be able to walk again.
The distressed young army man was then shifted to a military hospital in Pune, where he was treated for three months while undergoing several surgeries. They were, however, of no avail.
It was around this time that a colleague at the hospital referred him to the Neurogen Brain and Spine Institute in Nerul. He was admitted to the hospital, in January 2013, where he was treated with Stem Cells Therapy (SCT), which is widely regarded as a pioneering treatment for curing neurological disorders.
Post an extensive rehabilitation programme, Singh showed major signs of recovery. Now, in a month’s time, he will leave for Indore for a shooting training programme. “I am very happy, as I am back to being independent. I still aspire to serve my country. One must never lose hope in life,” said Singh.
Of the three types of stem cell therapy — adult stem cell, umbilical cord stem cell and embryonic stem cell — Singh was treated using adult stem cells therapy. “Adult stem cells therapy is considered the safest and yields better results. The therapy works best on children and younger patients. As Captain Singh is just 26 years old, he responded to the therapy quite well,” said Dr Alok Sharma, professor and head of Neurosurgery, Sion Hospital, and director of Neurogen Brain and Spine Institute, Nerul.
