ST. PETERSBURG, FL -- 10-year-old Adam Byrum has spent his life in and out of hospitals.
"He’s either had 18 or 19 surgeries now."
"It doesn't really feel like nothin'. Just hurry up and get it over with."
At 9 months, he had a cancerous tumor removed from his spine, leaving him paralyzed.
"That would be a feeling I would not even wish my worst enemy to be upon, never."
Now he's waiting for a kidney transplant, but first, he needs to gain control of his bladder.
"Then the transplant will be less likely to fail."
Doctors are turning to an experimental surgery called the Xiao procedure. It works by rewiring nerves in the spine.
"We take a small portion of the nerve that usually controls motor function or movement in the leg and we cut it and splice it to a nerve that usually controls bowel and bladder function."
"So we're going to be connecting this nerve here, to this nerve here."
If successful, doctors say the results are bizarre, but extraordinary. Adam would be able to scratch an area on his thigh to activate his bladder.
In a U.S. pilot study 12 kids had the surgery, with mixed results. More than half saw improvement, but those with spinal cord injury saw no change. In China, doctors claim an 87% success rate. Results take 6 to 18 months.
"I want him off dialysis. I want him healthy. I want him to be able to go to school 5 days a week. I don't think he does."
For now, he's keeping his mom busy. His nickname is "Wheels."
A brave kid, who rolls with whatever comes his way.
For more information, please contact:
All Children's Hospital
St. Petersburg, fl
(727) 898-7451
www.allkids.org
