Denise Williams who, at one stage, couldn’t easily climb stairs has seen her health transformed (Image: Courtesy Denise Williams)
For a woman who had once been too breathless to climb the stairs without having to lie down afterwards, 69-year-old Denise Williams appears in robust good health, bustling about as a church volunteer, caring for her disabled son, and planning long-haul holidays. It’s been 15 years since she received her life changing stem cell treatment.
This year she turns 70 and plans to celebrate the milestone in the Caribbean! But back in 2010 the widowed mum-of-two from Bolton was extremely unwell with her heart functioning at just 10 to 20% capacity. She first became aware something was wrong the year before and was hospitalised with what she assumed was a chest infection.
But she was diagnosed with heart failure and started on a strict regime of medication, which initially seemed to stabilise her condition. When the medication was stopped, however, her health declined dramatically.
“When I learned I had heart failure and that I was going to be referred for a heart transplant, I was in total shock,” she said. “My son Alex was 21 at the time, and disabled from an accident, and I was terrified at not being here for him and his older brother Michael. Their father had been murdered in 1996 and it had always just been the three of us.”
When Denise was told her failing kidneys meant she would not be strong enough for a transplant she knew she was facing a death sentence. She came across an article in Cardiomyopathy Magazine about the Heart Cells Foundation who were funding a pioneering stem cell therapy trial for patients with heart failure who were still severely limited despite being on optimal medication. Denise contacted the team and, within days, was assessed and accepted onto the trial.
The treatment process was far simpler than she had imagined. After several days of preparatory injections, her stem cells were harvested and then reintroduced to her heart during a single hospital procedure. The former para-legal didn’t even have to stay in hospital. “It’s such a simple process for something with such life-changing results,” she said. “There were 64 of us on the trial but half were on the placebo and, in the end, I think 16 of us had the full treatment so for once I was so so lucky. The difference was almost immediate. Within weeks, I knew I felt better. By the three month check-up the difference was massive.”
Before the treatment, Denise had struggled through a treadmill test. Afterwards, she managed double the time, at twice the incline, and her breathing efficiency had improved by around 50%. Today, 15 years since her treatment, Denise’s heart function is back within normal limits. She lives without the restrictions that once dominated her life.
“I have no adverse effects on my life from my heart now. It’s such a simple process with such life-changing results. It used to take me an hour just to eat a meal. Now I have my life back. I am volunteering at a church as a cook, doing buffets for them and I can travel. I would never have lived this long without this treatment and now I get to celebrate my 70th in November in the sun.”
This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk
