Emmy Cogan was a tiny fighter from her very first day, born prematurely at 23 weeks’ gestation. Instead of celebrating the future they had imagined, Emmy’s parents found themselves confronting the potential long-term health impacts of her premature birth. One of those risks was developing bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), a chronic lung disease. This marked the start of a long stay in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), where Emmy and her family faced weeks of uncertainty, difficult decisions, and hope for a brighter future.

That hope came in the form of a world-first phase I clinical trial, funded by SCN and led by Dr. Bernard Thébaud. By enrolling in the trial, Emmy became part of a study exploring a new approach to addressing BPD using cells derived from donated umbilical cord tissue.

Today, Emmy is an adventurous, smart, kind, and strong toddler. For two years after treatment, she was closely monitored, and the research team will continue to follow her for the next 10 years. Emmy’s family expressed relief at having this opportunity for their daughter and are optimistic about stem cell and regenerative medicine research.

In the early afternoon of June 1991, Karen Peat found herself overwhelmed with fatigue after vacuuming all morning. She was four months pregnant with her third child. She lay down for a nap. It would be one month before her eyes opened again, and little did she know that an innovative cell therapy would change her life. Read more in Karen’s Insights Blog.

Kevin Bolusi was a teenager when he suffered severe burns to over 75% of his body after being electrocuted. After arriving at the hospital, he was placed into a coma, and his parents consented to his participation in an SCN- funded clinical trial. The research was testing an autologous tissue-engineered skin substitute. The treatment is faster than skin grafting, and the risk of rejection is much lower due to the use of personalized skin cells. Kevin’s recovery has been remarkable, and he now works as a mechanical designer. In his free time, he is a paraclimber and paraskier.

Jennifer Molson was a 21-year-old aspiring police officer when she was diagnosed with aggressive multiple sclerosis. Within five years, Jennifer was unable to manage everyday tasks, including cutting her food and taking a shower. After multiple failed therapies, she took part in an innovative clinical trial that took her own stem cells, purified and fortified them, and after extreme chemotherapy to knock out her immune system, returned the stem cells to her body to rebuild a new, disease-free immune system. Today, with all traces of the disease eradicated, Jennifer enjoys an active life with her family.

Tyler Rabey was not yet 25 when he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukemia that seemed to defy all standard treatments. He was enrolled in an SCN funded trial that used stem cells expanded from umbilical cord blood using a technology referred to as UM171. It changed his prognosis and the trajectory of his health. Today he’s in remission, graduated university and has launched his own business. “The kindness and dedication of strangers to my care will always stay with me,” he says.

After contracting a severe case of COVID-19 in May 2021, long-time IT professional Eddyson Chery was placed on a ventilator and into a medically induced coma at The Ottawa Hospital. When conventional treatments failed, he received a stem cell–based therapy that helped his body recover from life-threatening lung injury. Following two months in hospital and extensive rehabilitation, Eddyson gradually regained his strength and independence. Today, while still managing some lasting effects, he enjoys walking, driving, barbecuing, and spending time with family and friends.