Former Red Wings great Gordie Howe continues remarkable progress following stem cell treatment
Gordie Howe over the years
Gordie Howe is well enough to play driveway hockey with his great grandson and push a shopping cart at the grocery store. (AP file photo)
Ansar Khan
on January 18, 2015 at 12:05 PM, updated January 19, 2015 at 10:26 AM
Murray Howe, a radiologist in Toledo, has been practicing medicine for 30 years and has never seen anything like the remarkable recovery his father has made from a major stroke less than three months ago.
After hockey legend Gordie Howe experienced a few setbacks and his health deteriorated, sons Murray, Marty and Mark and daughter Cathy began preparing for the worst.
"On Dec. 1 he was admitted to the hospital, completely bed-ridden and unresponsive," Dr. Howe said during a phone interview with MLive. "He could not stand. He could speak a word or two but couldn't hold a conversation. The nurses recommended a hospice. We all figured he had 2-3 weeks to live. I wrote his eulogy on Dec. 1, started planning funeral services. It was dire."
One week later, the all-time Detroit Red Wings great was lying in bed in a clinic in Tijuana, Mexico, undergoing an eight-hour stem cell therapy treatment that would improve his physical and mental health exponentially and extend his life.
Murray spent some time with his father last week in Lubbock, Texas, where he lives with his daughter, and saw what he described as a night and day difference in his condition from early December.
Gordie Howe, whose combination of skill and toughness, in addition to his longevity, made him arguably the greatest player of all time, is "exceeding all expectations."
"Every day he's a lot better, stronger, more clear," Murray said.
More active than anyone could have imagined
Mr. Hockey plays driveway hockey with his 8-year-old great grandson, deking him several times before firing a plastic puck through his five-hole. He kicks around a soccer ball, throws a football and swings a croquet racket.
He walked for half a mile during a trip to the mall, resting a couple of times in between. He can push a shopping cart for a half-hour without any difficulty.
"You couldn't even tell he had a stroke at this point," Murray said. "It's so phenomenal."
They owe it all to two stem cell treatments.
"We all figured he had 2-3 weeks to live. I wrote his eulogy on Dec. 1, started planning funeral services. It was dire." -- Murray Howe
Murray Howe knew little to nothing about this type of treatment when he received a call from Dr. Maynard Howe (no relation), one of the founders of Stemedica Cell Technologies. Maynard Howe is from Minnesota, a hockey fan and a Gordie Howe fan. He had been following the 86-year-old Howe's illness in the media and was confident his treatment could make a difference.
Murray did some research. He found the procedure to be safe, with little chance of an adverse reaction. At that point, the family had little to lose, with their father's worsening condition.
"We really just thought this was a last-ditch effort," Murray said. "I don't think any of us thought it would do a whole lot."
The most difficult part was transporting Howe on a commercial flight with a connection, from Lubbock to San Diego, where Stemedica is based.
"The IV infusion they can do in the U.S.," Murray said. "But the spinal injection is not FDA approved. They have to do that in Mexico."
Dr. Murray Howe described how the procedure works.
"Initially it works by the stem cells going to the area of injury and start repairing those damaged cells," he said. "They start secreting substances that basically repair the cells. That's why you get an immediate response. It fixes the ones that are damaged. Over the course of months, it starts to regrow new brain cells. If you get a lot of improvement in that time period but you want more, you can have additional infusions."
Two days of treatments yielded miraculous results
After the eight-hour inter-spinal injection, they saw immediate results. At one point, Howe was able to get out of bed and go to the bathroom, which his son described as "almost a biblical moment."
"I was the first to see him walk. I was absolutely astounded," Murray said. "He really hadn't walked more than 10 steps, with a walker, since his stroke on Oct. 26. He had lost a huge amount of weight. His legs were like bean poles. For him to walk was unbelievable. I was floored."
An IV infusion of neural stem cells was done the second day, and Howe was good to go.
"It gave him a healthy glow," Murray said. "Reminded me of a race horse that wanted to get out and go.
"We got back to San Diego and he started making the bed in the hotel, walking around; I was supporting him. The fifth day after the injection he was walking on his own."
Howe has gained 20 pounds since Dec. 8, the day of the first treatment.
"Every day he's getting better," Murray said. "It's truly unbelievable."
Doctors said a second round of treatments can be performed in six months. Murray said they'll wait and see but will probably have it done. Perhaps it will help with his father's dementia.
"There are several things we can tackle with stem cells. Dementia is harder to crack," Murray said. "I'm eager to see how much we can reverse that."
Regardless of what happens, the family is happy their father has reached this level of health, considering how bleak it appeared not too long ago.
"If he never got better than this we'd still be ecstatic," Murray said. "He has a great quality of life. We continue to keep him comfortable and engaged. He's been re-born."
Howe is well enough to travel by private jet to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan with his three sons and daughter for the Kinsman Sports Celebrity Dinner in his honor Feb. 6.
It will be his first public appearance (aside from trips to the mall and grocery store) in some time.
"When he went to Lubbock at the end of the summer we didn't think he'd do another public appearance, even before the stroke," Murray said. "Now, to me, he is better than before the stroke.
"We just feel every day is a gift. We're thankful for the time we had with him. We want his time on earth to be as full as possible."
Gordie Howe over the years
Gordie Howe is well enough to play driveway hockey with his great grandson and push a shopping cart at the grocery store. (AP file photo)
Ansar Khan
on January 18, 2015 at 12:05 PM, updated January 19, 2015 at 10:26 AM
Murray Howe, a radiologist in Toledo, has been practicing medicine for 30 years and has never seen anything like the remarkable recovery his father has made from a major stroke less than three months ago.
After hockey legend Gordie Howe experienced a few setbacks and his health deteriorated, sons Murray, Marty and Mark and daughter Cathy began preparing for the worst.
"On Dec. 1 he was admitted to the hospital, completely bed-ridden and unresponsive," Dr. Howe said during a phone interview with MLive. "He could not stand. He could speak a word or two but couldn't hold a conversation. The nurses recommended a hospice. We all figured he had 2-3 weeks to live. I wrote his eulogy on Dec. 1, started planning funeral services. It was dire."
One week later, the all-time Detroit Red Wings great was lying in bed in a clinic in Tijuana, Mexico, undergoing an eight-hour stem cell therapy treatment that would improve his physical and mental health exponentially and extend his life.
Murray spent some time with his father last week in Lubbock, Texas, where he lives with his daughter, and saw what he described as a night and day difference in his condition from early December.
Gordie Howe, whose combination of skill and toughness, in addition to his longevity, made him arguably the greatest player of all time, is "exceeding all expectations."
"Every day he's a lot better, stronger, more clear," Murray said.
More active than anyone could have imagined
Mr. Hockey plays driveway hockey with his 8-year-old great grandson, deking him several times before firing a plastic puck through his five-hole. He kicks around a soccer ball, throws a football and swings a croquet racket.
He walked for half a mile during a trip to the mall, resting a couple of times in between. He can push a shopping cart for a half-hour without any difficulty.
"You couldn't even tell he had a stroke at this point," Murray said. "It's so phenomenal."
They owe it all to two stem cell treatments.
"We all figured he had 2-3 weeks to live. I wrote his eulogy on Dec. 1, started planning funeral services. It was dire." -- Murray Howe
Murray Howe knew little to nothing about this type of treatment when he received a call from Dr. Maynard Howe (no relation), one of the founders of Stemedica Cell Technologies. Maynard Howe is from Minnesota, a hockey fan and a Gordie Howe fan. He had been following the 86-year-old Howe's illness in the media and was confident his treatment could make a difference.
Murray did some research. He found the procedure to be safe, with little chance of an adverse reaction. At that point, the family had little to lose, with their father's worsening condition.
"We really just thought this was a last-ditch effort," Murray said. "I don't think any of us thought it would do a whole lot."
The most difficult part was transporting Howe on a commercial flight with a connection, from Lubbock to San Diego, where Stemedica is based.
"The IV infusion they can do in the U.S.," Murray said. "But the spinal injection is not FDA approved. They have to do that in Mexico."
Dr. Murray Howe described how the procedure works.
"Initially it works by the stem cells going to the area of injury and start repairing those damaged cells," he said. "They start secreting substances that basically repair the cells. That's why you get an immediate response. It fixes the ones that are damaged. Over the course of months, it starts to regrow new brain cells. If you get a lot of improvement in that time period but you want more, you can have additional infusions."
Two days of treatments yielded miraculous results
After the eight-hour inter-spinal injection, they saw immediate results. At one point, Howe was able to get out of bed and go to the bathroom, which his son described as "almost a biblical moment."
"I was the first to see him walk. I was absolutely astounded," Murray said. "He really hadn't walked more than 10 steps, with a walker, since his stroke on Oct. 26. He had lost a huge amount of weight. His legs were like bean poles. For him to walk was unbelievable. I was floored."
An IV infusion of neural stem cells was done the second day, and Howe was good to go.
"It gave him a healthy glow," Murray said. "Reminded me of a race horse that wanted to get out and go.
"We got back to San Diego and he started making the bed in the hotel, walking around; I was supporting him. The fifth day after the injection he was walking on his own."
Howe has gained 20 pounds since Dec. 8, the day of the first treatment.
"Every day he's getting better," Murray said. "It's truly unbelievable."
Doctors said a second round of treatments can be performed in six months. Murray said they'll wait and see but will probably have it done. Perhaps it will help with his father's dementia.
"There are several things we can tackle with stem cells. Dementia is harder to crack," Murray said. "I'm eager to see how much we can reverse that."
Regardless of what happens, the family is happy their father has reached this level of health, considering how bleak it appeared not too long ago.
"If he never got better than this we'd still be ecstatic," Murray said. "He has a great quality of life. We continue to keep him comfortable and engaged. He's been re-born."
Howe is well enough to travel by private jet to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan with his three sons and daughter for the Kinsman Sports Celebrity Dinner in his honor Feb. 6.
It will be his first public appearance (aside from trips to the mall and grocery store) in some time.
"When he went to Lubbock at the end of the summer we didn't think he'd do another public appearance, even before the stroke," Murray said. "Now, to me, he is better than before the stroke.
"We just feel every day is a gift. We're thankful for the time we had with him. We want his time on earth to be as full as possible."