Patient Stories

OIRM is pleased to work with patients, health charities and research hospitals to inform the research process and increase awareness and knowledge about stem cell therapies and clinical trials.

These articles feature personal stories shared with us by patients, clinicians and health charities.

Unlocking stiff person syndrome

Tina Ceroni was water skiing the first time her legs locked, leaving her immobile and in need of rescue. This is her story of recovery.

Clinician scientist armed with stem cells gives MS patients their lives back

In 2001, Dr. Harold Atkins, an OIRM scientist, enrolled the first patients in a clinical trial for an aggressive, untested treatment for multiple sclerosis. A short time later, patient number five failed — by recovering far beyond what anyone had imagined.

Asking patients to tell us what we don’t know

Outcomes of a workshop hosted by OIRM in November 2015 that brought patients and health charities together. They came to listen and to share their expertise and perspectives on clinical trials and regenerative medicine, something that strangely doesn’t happen very often.