When Lindsey Metcalf’s unborn baby was diagnosed with spina bifida, she and her husband Jared began searching for a state-of-the-art treatment that would provide hope.
They discovered information about the CuRe Trial: Cellular Therapy for In Utero Repair of Myelomeningocele” at UC Davis Health on the Internet and qualified for the study.
Launched in the spring of 2021, the CuRe clinical trial is the world’s first stem cell treatment for spina bifida delivered during fetal surgery. While surgery performed after birth can help reduce some of the
effects, surgery before birth can prevent or lessen the severity of the fetus’s spinal damage, which worsens over the course of pregnancy. Thirty-five patients will be treated in total in the CuRe trial.
“As time went on, we realized how special this trial was,” said Lindsey Metcalf. “What made it so special were the doctors, medical staff and professional staff at UC Davis. We saw the vision for what life could
potentially be for those with spina bifida.”
Now Lindsey and Jared are seeing a very bright future for their son.
“Nixon has been making remarkable strides. He is developing cognitively, emotionally and physically. He has been making great progress as he crawls all around the house and has begun taking steps with the
assistance of his little push cart!” said Lindsey Metcalf. “We couldn’t be more full of gratitude for our little miracle boy and everyone at UC Davis who has made his miracle possible.”
For more information about the CuRe trial, visit the website.
