DUNCAN, Okla. Emma Harper is closing out her summer with a ground-breaking stem cell treatment.

Cerebral Palsy and a Broad Spectrum Genetic Disorder create roadblocks in different forms for this 10-year-old Horace Mann student.

Her parents, Micah and Tara Harper, accompanied Emma on the trip to Orange, Calif., for the stem cell treatment if an effort to improve their daughter's life.

We never gave up hope that she would one day be able to speak, Micah said. We were told by doctors whenever she was much younger that she should probably be institutionalized, that she wouldnt walk, she wouldnt talk. She really has beat the odds. She can walk. She can walk on her own...

Emma continues to break through barriers in new and different ways.

Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2017, Emma and her parents met with Dr. Henderson, who is familiar with the Southwestern Oklahoma area, having been stationed at Fort Sill.

An initial meet and greet and question and answer portion of the procedure was completed. The Harpers were scheduled to go back the very next day for Emmas treatment, which usually lasts around two hours ended.

For Emma, whosebody accepted the vitamins and stem cells quickly, the treatment only took 20 to 30 minutes.

They (doctors) said whats happening is that her body is really accepting the stem cells. The doctor said that its like fireworks going off in her body right now, explained Micah. It was a really quick procedure, and the doctor said that within the next two weeks shes going to really start feeling the effects. We will see progress in two months, and she could continue making progress for two years.

There is no telling what type of progress Emma can expect.

Her body is dictating where the stem cells are going," Micah said.

Emmas doctor has seen miraculous recovery and progress in children with cerebral palsy. This treatment also has been used in early-onset dementia. The treatment has a 100 percent success rate with varying specific points of progress within the body.

While the Harpers cannot be completely sure this phenomenal treatment will give Emma her voice, other positives of the procedure could be highly beneficial.

It was a gamble that we were willing to take, Micah said.

Emma was feeling great and enjoyed sightseeing in Los Angeles Thursday after her treatment.

Arrington writes for The Duncan Banner, a CNHI News Service publication.

Read more:
Hope for Emma's voice: Child undergoes ground-breaking stem cell treatment - Stillwater News Press