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Mark Bouniconti, who was paralyzed from the neck down after a college football injury, joins Brian to the discuss the recent advances being made to tr...
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Marc Buoniconti here he's president of the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis in the -- -- fund here in studio tonight is the 27 annual great sports legends dinner.
For the -- company fund and mark welcome welcome back to the show.
This time in person.
-- great to be here and I can't believer in the next room Suzanne Somers.
I know homily it was late on deck was wonderful as she does as do you.
Mark tell everybody knows your dad's old pro linebacker with the Miami Dolphins who went to the hall of fame 72 season everyone's seen him.
-- NFL films he didn't see him live but more Q and aspiring linebacker pro player in college -- what happened.
Well you know is following are some pretty big footsteps.
My brother and I both of us went.
It's to college on scholarships Ambrose led Duke University I went to citadel.
And -- balls and our blood -- growing up and just trying to.
To do what I love best is playing football limited tackle like -- done thousands of times before but of course as was different.
'cause before I even hit the ground and heroes -- -- -- -- paralyzed and the journey he's been pretty hard for you I imagine.
While it's -- called because in that split second.
You go for the -- -- elect of fighting for your life.
I was very physical my entire life.
And once I got through the the stages of initial injury and going through rehab and trying to learn about what life is.
In a wheelchair.
Yet flip a switch and channel it into something.
Different right that energy is still within you and that's the kind of person I was -- is full tilt all the time.
And I had to had to channel in the something different a little more positive but I and that's when.
Doctor Barth green who's also.
The co-founder and again doctors say in my life after my injury talk about the Miami project.
Which is.
Center.
To bring the best some of the best resurgence -- from all around the world.
Together under one group to focus on one thing only and that's to cure paralysis.
When he started talking about the Miami project it gave me that.
That.
That direction and also a vision for my life going.
It is in your helping out people and sadly a lot of soldiers -- coming back.
The spinal injuries we have about one point two million suffer from paralysis right now five point five in this country.
That I have some form of paralysis.
Maybe not and will cure its temporary with a lot of hard work and all and some breaks.
But that's what we're talking about today which makes it extremely exciting to see you not only to talk about the dinner tonight.
Which gets people from Shaquille O'Neal to Bob Costas in studio.
But to talk about a breakthrough and I know you're like a doctor by this point but in layman's terms what happened.
-- -- -- -- Hard knocks.
Well so what happens when you have a spinal cord injury.
The central nervous system which is your brain and spinal cord when you -- those nerves and those cells within your brain and spinal cord.
It -- not repair -- so that -- have a stroke.
You're -- -- brain injury or -- or injury.
You're paralyzed.
And the recovery.
And that type of the situation is is very.
Improbable.
-- we do is we have a cell.
That's in another part of our body called bush -- so.
And this celery generates it repairs the nerves and cells -- -- is on record so we can take that cell.
Your own cell and we make millions of them through a specialized technique.
And every transplant that sell into -- and years on record and that acts as a conduit as a bridge you can imagine -- -- recorded injury.
-- taken a wire and cutting.
Your brains trying to send signals down the rest your body stops stops and a damn.
And what we do as we injecting cells in the area that injury and acts as that conduit.
It allows the bridging of those cells is -- re making -- connection on the other side promotes and station.
Well and so -- have the first human trial.
But you have to wait for someone to get paralyzed right it's gonna happen.
You don't want it to happen anybody but -- we know it is but it's gotta be somebody who just got paralyzed not somebody who has been correct.
That's great for this particular trial the FDA just give -- the green light is the only trial.
In the entire United States respond to injury we're regarding cell transplant.
Which is amazing amongst itself.
Answer right this is for people who was called the sub acute injury summer's gonna have an injury within the next few weeks or -- few months.
And there were another -- -- people are walking around no idea no clue that they are going to be the next subject and then what happens is.
Within three to five days after their injury we will harvests -- cells.
Within three weeks between day 26 and -- forty we will re inject ourselves.
And the cord and there will always abuse a matter of time and and -- because.
You know we real feel confident that there's going to be some kind of result.
Even those of phase one safety trial.
We are very excited base our animal studies.
That I have some animals walking better than up to 70% normal after injury.
So I think this could this mean hope for you -- who've been a chair for.
Since the eighties.
I've never more optimistic I really do think -- holds promise for me and accused in the millions of people.
-- -- waiting for a second chance.
So what we're gonna do is based on this phase one trial.
We're going to apply for the next stage.
Of the clinical trial and chronic injured patients like myself.
And based on those results -- -- do -- to -- pastry trial.
I remember this is just one of many many trials that we are going onto mine project we did that.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- And several other players as well as people in South Florida because we do that.
And Miami Dade County for people who.
Have.
Initial injuries -- and it's about cooling the body preserving -- -- Plus we have all pipeline of other research.
That'd be coming out of the next few years so.
Neuroscience is hot right now when I was first injured people realize that I don't worry about people of browser -- -- -- now.
Neuroscience is something a lot of pressures are getting into.
The whole field has grown enormously admired Roger -- -- -- -- Now how do we help out the Miami project was saying hey that's we want to put our money to do great stuff -- have done -- -- Well first running total Waldorf Astoria tonight were we got this -- nearly sold out over thirteen hundred people there are amazing and uses three years' time.
He said Bob causes the MC and we got Shaquille O'Neal Joseph Torre.
Tony Perez Mark Martin -- -- of the raging bull right is going to be there tonight amazing.
Alonzo Mourning.
To name a few.
Amelio as the fund.
Sorry -- -- users we always encourage people to get -- -- we're doing.
The Miami project I -- -- the Miami project dot com be a great way to go online and look and and you know it's about believing in our cause I mean it's like I've spoken and you can happen anyway.
-- -- -- -- -- In Miami project dot org issued today and we'll put an argument of friends that -- thanks mark good luck tonight -- vision.
