Family of Lexington teen with cerebral palsy raises money for investigational treatment

LEXINGTON, Mass. — The family of a Lexington teen with cerebral palsy is raising money for an investigational treatment they hope will change his life.

Gabriel Machado was recently accepted for an Expanded Access Protocol (EAP) at Duke University Medical Center for an umbilical cord blood infusion.

Scientists believe the infusion of cells from umbilical cord blood from a sibling can improve brain connectivity and motor function in children and young adults with cerebral palsy and other neurologic conditions.

“I pray every single day,” Gabriel’s mother Perla Franco said. “I can feel this in my heart. Something good is going to happen.”

The cord blood is from when Gabriel’s younger sister Maria was born in Brazil and has been stored there for 16 years.

“It’s wonderful and very emotional, because I [have been] waiting for this since Maria [was] born,” Franco said.

The family is hoping to raise the $15,000 needed for the treatment through a GoFundMe account.

Gabriel, whom his family describes as happy and always smiling, is legally blind and non-verbal.

Nearly five years ago, Boston 25 News documented some of Gabriel’s first steps at Perkins School for the Blind as he used a cutting-edge robotic walker controlled by a physical therapist using a tablet.

“This young man, he is a miracle. And what we have ahead of us is also a miracle,” Franco’s partner Mike Pafume said. “You use the word ‘hope,’ and that’s what we look for… It’s all about hope.”

Maria dreams of hearing her big brother say her name again, as he did 11 years ago before suffering a seizure and a coma.

While the family knows the treatment is not a cure, they believe any amount of progress could be life-changing for Gabriel. They hope Gabriel paves the way for other young adults, too.

“You miss 100 percent of the shots that you don’t take,” Maria said. “So, I’d rather try this than not try and wonder what could’ve happened.”

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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