Anesa’s quest to walk again...

The 25-year-old resident of Dow Village, California, recently found out about the Shen Zhen Beike/Bay Biotechnology Company located in the Guangdong Province of China.

The treatment will ensure regeneration of tissues using stem cells in spinal cord injury patients. Doctors at the institute have given her an 86 percent chance of improvement, after looking at her medical records.

Ali, a quadriplegic, is due to go to China from December 4 until New Year’s Day, with the stay costing US$50,000. Her family has set up an account at First Citizens Bank – 1320299 – for persons interested in assisting her cause.

On May 24, 2003, Ali and her family were returning home from a family gathering at Mannette Ranch, East Trinidad, when their vehicle was struck on the left side, resulting in extensive damage to the B14 Sunny.

Ali’s mother, aunt and uncle, who were all in the vehicle, were also injured in the incident.

Her mother sustained bruises on her shin, her aunt sustained injured toes and her uncle a broken leg. Anesa was rendered unconscious with head and neck injuries.

Anesa’s father, Nizun, who was in another vehicle ahead of the Sunny, said he was initially unaware of the situation, but when he found out, he quickly rushed to his daughter’s aid until the fire brigade and the ambulance arrived.

The medical personnel did not have a neck brace to support Anesa, and as a result, her dad used his hands to prop up Anesa’s neck until she arrived at the Arima Casualty Department. She was then transferred to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital.

The following morning, Nizun met with neurosurgeon Dr Steve Mahadeo who suggested an MRI scan, which was done at the St Clair Medical Centre.

After a month of intensive care, Anesa was transferred to the St James Rehab Centre before she was taken home. On a suggestion by a therapist, she went to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex for two years until they declared their inability to do anything more to help Anesa.

“After that, he said ‘Ms Ali, I have some bad news for you. You have a spinal injury and I don’t think you’re going to walk again’,” Anesa related how a doctor told her about her paralysis.

“So I just looked at him. I didn’t know what to say. I said ‘ok,’” she continued. “My dad was right there.

“I kept looking at him and thinking ‘Oh my God, look at trouble I’m putting him in now,’” Anesa added. “So I didn’t really think much of it (then) but, when I think about it now, I think it was rude for that doctor to say that to me.

“I mean, I now (got) up from an accident and that’s the way (he told me). I didn’t think it was right.”

Privately, she was taken to Dr Steven Ramroop at the Gulf View Medical Complex who tried in vain to restore full use of her hands, while an experimental drug which was injected in her spinal cord also proved futile. Anesa admitted that a recent story on another paralysed victim Diana Jaipaul reignited hopes of her restoring her mobility. “I couldn’t believe it,” Anesa said, as she looks forward for her operation.

One of four children (she has two sisters and a brother), Anesa was working as a sales representative to earn money for her business management course at the Trinidad and Tobago Management Training Centre in San Fernando when the accident occurred. To her credit, she completed the course this year (via correspondence) but she still aspires to become a teacher.

Currently, she is reliant on the support from her father, a former Caroni (1975) Ltd worker who is now a taxi-driver, her mother, her family members and her friends.

“Doctors are surprised to see Anesa’s condition,” said Nizun. “That she’s well taken care of.”

Anesa had a titanium plate inserted in the back of her neck, after some of the broken bones were removed and grafted bones from her hip were screwed in its (neck) place.

She could only use her knuckles, even though she is getting accustomed to talking over the phone and using a computer, but she has no feelings from her chest downwards.

“I am grateful for Diana since it reignited hope,” said Anesa. “After visiting a dozen doctors and they gave up hope.”