Medicine, Missions, & Miracles

Dear Family and Friends,

After much prayer and research, Dennis will be traveling to Costa Rica to the Institute of Cellular Medicine (ICM) on September 21 for a stem cell treatment to treat Multiple Sclerosis.

We have been following the experience and research of 2 men from the metroplex who had the stem cell treatment in May. Both men have experienced remarkable improvement. One of the men suffered from chronic pain (he took 7 vicaden a day), hearing loss,seizures, and balance issues which caused him to walk with a cane. Since the 2nd day of treatment he has not had any pain medication, his seizures have stopped, his hearing aid has been turned down 4 times this month, and he no longer needs a cane. He is able to teach golf lessons in the morning in this outrageous heat! His recovery is amazing. We have been conversing with these men via email and I was able to meet them in person at a MS meeting in Arlington. Dennis has also contacted a 35 year old man who received treatment in June who was unable to walk because of the effect of MS on his legs. He is now riding his bicycle 4 miles a day and is returning to work. God is so good!!! We know of 3 women from the metroplex who have just returned from Costa Rica and we are following their experiences as well.

Dennis has lost mobility in his left ankle and knee. He wears a brace and walks with a cane. He has also lost mobility in his left arm. He can't type with his left hand, he can't grab objects or open and shut his hand voluntarily. The heat makes his symptoms more pronounced. The only option for him medically in the United States is a chemotherapy and he could only take that for a limited time. The chemo would not improve his condition, but might slow down the progression of the disease. Because the stem cell therapy has virtually no risk and because it actually repairs the damage that MS has done to the body, we feel like this is the best option for Dennis. The stem cells will come from his own fat tissue - he will have a liposuctionto remove the fat - and they will also use stem cells from umbilical cords donated from full term births. There are no ethical or moral questions involving these stem cells or any stem cells used by ICM. The parent company of ICM is Medistem, an American company based out of Phoenix. The hospital that they use is affiliated with Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas and is managed by the International Hospital Corporation, also of Dallas. Through the experience of those that have already been, we know the doctors to be very concerned about their patients and very willing to be of help in any way they can. The doctors have spent hours talking to and answering questions for the patients that have gone before us. The doctorshave also been very much involved in the treatment process: they are the ones drawing blood and doing other duties that American doctors would assign to hospital staff, because they want to ensure a high quality of care for their patients. We have not dealt with secretaries or answering services. The doctor called us on the phone just 24 hours after we submitted our application and he has personally answered each one of our emails and given us a phone number where we can reach him day or night. The quality of care is amazing and that is being affirmed with each person that we hear from who is receiving treatment.

We will be in Costa Rica from September 21 - October 4. Dennis will receive treatments and do physical therapy during the day, but will return to the hotel at night. Dennis will be accompanied by his dad and his dad's wife Lydia. Lydia speaks Spanish, which is a blessing. The kids and I are planning to do mission work with "Strong Missions", a husband and wife team who coordinates missiontrips to Costa Rica. We will be working at a church called Los Guidos. The church feeds neighborhood children twice a day and also has a school. We will serve meals, paint, help however we can, and, most importantly, play with and love on the kids.

Dennis told me that he spent a month in the spring of this year praying that God would bring healing or at least stop the progression of his MS. We feel like this might be the miracle we were waiting for, but honestly never expected. Why do we not take God at His Word? He says that he can do things beyond our imagination, and we know that, but somehow we never expect it. We are humbled by all that God has already done to begin this journey. We want to ask you to join with us in prayer during this important time in our lives. Please pray for Dennis' healing as he undergoes treatment. Please pray for the kids and I as we minister at the church, that God will give us wisdom, humility, and love in all that we do. Pray also that my children will be able to see how truly blessed they are and that God will give them a heart to share His love. Finally, we ask for prayer for the trip itself, for the logistics of being in a foreign country.

If you have any questions at all or would like more information, please call or email us. We would love to hear from you. Please pass our information to anyone that you think would benefit from it. We miss and love you all. Thank you for praying!

Love, The Trammell Family
Dennis: possumpastor@yahoo.com
Cindy: ctrammell@peoplepc.com