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Miracle Sam defies the odds
Mary COdy
A KILKENNY TODDLER has defied all medical odds and can now stand and see despite having been told by Irish doctors that he would never be able to walk or recover his sight.
Sam Walsh from Mooncoin, who turned three last Thursday has made a miraculous recovery since he returned home after undergoing ground breaking stem cell treatment in China. When he was just three months old, Sam had a bleed in his brain and stopped breathing, leaving him blind and unable to walk.
“He is flying - he is absolutely brilliant. We went to see his eye specialist, Mr Stephen Beatty, in Waterford Regional and he confirmed that Sam can now see light, shapes and recognise faces. It is the first time that this has been confirmed by doctors in Ireland and we are over the moon with the news,” his mother Pamela Horgan told the Kilkenny People. “Before Sam went to China we had been told by Irish doctors that Sam had no chance of regaining his vision. Now it has been confirmed that he can see.”
In another amazing turn of events, Sam has started to stand in recent weeks, which means that a painful operation that was due to take place this April is no longer necessary.
“Up until recently his legs weren’t straight and he was sleeping with frog legs [his legs raised]. We were told that he would need to have this operation in April to correct his joints, but now we have been told that he won’t need it. We were told by medics that he would never be able to stand up properly or walk but he can stand now with the support of his stander,” added Pamela.
Sam and his parents, Pamela and Dave travelled to the Central Remedial Centre where doctors told them that they were ‘amazed’ by the toddler’s progress and that there is now no need for the operation.
“We are all astonished at the progress he has made since the stem cell treatment. It has to be the stem cells. If I could bring him back to China in the morning I would. Even in school he responds much more when the staff are playing with him and has become much more interactive. There has been a huge change and he is getting better all the time,” added Pamela.
The family are hoping to return to China later in the year to get further treatment for Sam. In order to do that they will have to raise f26,000.
Anyone who would like to contribute to the fund can donate to the Baby Sam Appeal, Bank of Ireland, The Quay, Waterford, sort code 90-61-95, account number 22850866 or visit www.BabySamAppeal.
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Weather for Kilkenny
Saturday 04 February 2012
Today
Heavy rain
Temperature: 3 C to 9 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: South
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Light rain
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