A 20-year-old college student has become the first Iowan and the 36th person in the world to undergo an experimental surgical procedure in Portugal that has shown promising results in helping people with spinal cord injuries.
Amy Foels is expected to arrive Saturday at her parents' home in Elkader, eight days after doctors removed stem cells from inside her nose and implanted them in her spinal cord. Foels has been paralyzed from the waist down since a car accident in November 2002.
"As far as we know, my doctor said that everything looks like it was successful," said Foels, a student at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids. "It's just a waiting game now."
Since the surgery, performed Jan. 7 at Egas Moniz Hospital in Lisbon, Foels has reported feeling a "more intense" tingling and a sensation of warmth in her legs.
"Supposedly that's a good sign," she said.
Doctors say any initial improvements probably are a result of cleaning scar tissue and taking pressure off her spinal cord during surgery. They say Foels may not see any long-term benefits from the procedure for three months to two years. Months of aggressive rehabilitation await her.