Stem cell treatment for Cerebral Palsy: Aussie mum tells how baby was born to save her sister – 7NEWS

As baby number fours screams rang out from the birthing suite, parents Laura and Paul West held their breath.

Not just for their newborn baby girl, Emma, but for their third child, Charlotte, who was desperately awaiting the arrival of her sister - a much-needed stem cell donor.

As the umbilical cord and placenta were whisked away, Laura whispered to her tiny, healthy baby that she was destined to save her big sisters life.

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Charlotte, who was living with cerebral palsy, couldnt walk, talk or eat by herself.

Doctors told the West family she would never know her own name.

But five years after Emmas birth, Charlotte is now running.

Emma is the gift that keeps on giving, Laura tells 7Life.

When the West Australian woman was 22 weeks pregnant with Charlotte, doctors discovered an abnormality.

She had diaphragmatic hernia - a hole in the diaphragm which allowed organs to travel upwards and develop in the chest region.

Charlotte also had a hole in her heart, a number of gut issues, and white matter on the brain, among other issues.

Specialists suggested Paul and Laura consider termination - Charlotte had a 10 per cent survival rate, at best.

At home, the couple tried to come to terms with the gravity of the situation.

They gently broke the news to their two children, Josh, then seven, and Isabella, then four.

Every day they would rub my belly and go, Good morning Charlotte. She was already part of our family, Laura says.

So when we told Josh, he said, Why dont we let Charlotte decide? If she wants to fight she will fight. What if it were me, mum?.

The family agreed with the little boy.

They chose against termination and let Charlotte make the decision for herself, praying every day for her safe and healthy arrival.

When the time came, the hospital room was filled with more than 30 medical staff and grief counsellors, prepared for the worst possible outcome.

But Charlotte chose life.

In her first few days, she was in and out of surgery - each day touch and go.

When she was really sick those first few days, Josh turns to me and said Dont you wish you could just take her soul and place it in a healthy body so she can enjoy life like we do, Laura says.

He was seven. He just says the most profound things.

Charlotte was diagnosed with cerebral palsy and epilepsy and told she would need care for the rest of her life.

Her prognosis was unknown.

Laura and Paul began making modifications around the home for their little girl and were happy she was part of their family.

Josh and Isabella doted on their new sister and took on new roles in the family, helping care for Charlotte.

There were more surgeries, therapy and ICU visits, and Charlotte battled every new challenge with a grin.

With a wheelchair, oxygen tank and a feeding tube, Charlotte became Lauras best friend and the pair never left each others side.

Then when Charlotte was two, Laura fell pregnant again.

As she waited with Charlotte for an ultrasound appointment early in her pregnancy, Laura caught a woman staring at her daughter from across the room.

I was pretty used to that and just thought, Here we go again, Laura says.

She asked me what was wrong with Charlotte and I started to tell her.

The woman stopped Laura mid-sentence and revealed she, too, had a daughter with cerebral palsy.

She then pointed to her pregnant bump - and revealed she had conceived in the hopes of using her unborn childs stem cells to help her eldest.

Cells of the newborns umbilical cord would be infused into her eldest child, hoping to help increase movement and brain development.

She spoke about a medical trial in Melbourne, she quickly grabbed a scrap bit of paper and wrote all the details on it and handed it to me, Laura says.

Back at home, Laura dug through her bag to find the crumpled piece of paper.

I thought, What was the harm? so I gave the number a call, she says.

The trial was purely focused on the safety of the procedure around sibling stem cell infusions, and Laura was told they had no evidence that stem cells could benefit Charlotte at that stage.

But, what did I have to lose, Laura says.

As she began her own research into stem cell trials, she discovered children around the world were benefiting from the infusion - with dramatic changes in development and increased independence.

For the Wests, the trial sparked hope for their daughters future. So they signed up.

Laura and Paul were told Charlotte had just a 25 per cent chance of matching with her new sibling.

And they would need to wait for the arrival of their latest bundle to test their compatibility.

When Emma was welcomed into the world, the family was overjoyed - not just by baby number four but the countless possibilities for Charlotte.

Emmas placenta and umbilical cord were quickly sent for testing.

When we finally got the call we couldnt believe it - they were a match, Laura says.

Then aged three-and-a-half, Charlotte and Laura flew to Melbourne for the two-hour procedure, which went flawlessly.

From what they (doctors) had told us, we had no expectations, Laura says.

Just two days after the infusion, Charlotte reached for a bottle and began making a sucking motion with her mouth.

I know it seems like such a tiny moment but she had never done that before, she is tube fed, the mum says.

A few weeks later, she was rolling - then crawling, standing and finally walking.

With no previous motor skills, Charlotte was speeding past every milestone she had missed in her short three years of life.

We were told she would have no chance of ever talking or walking, she will never know you, she will never form bonds or relationships with people, she will never know her family, Laura says.

Now she knows her family, she loves us dearly, she can hold a pencil and draw.

Every day Charlotte, now eight, continues to improve.

Josh and Isabella share a special bond with Charlotte, but Emma and her sisters connection is on a different level.

Emma grabs Charlottes hand and takes her to the trampoline and just encourages her, Laura says.

Laura has connected with the woman from the doctors waiting room and the pair share their journeys with stem cell research.

Laura calls the meeting her turning point, saying that without having encountered the kind stranger, Charlotte wouldnt be where she is today.

Doctors always give you the grim odds of everything, the mum says.

But looking at Charlotte now, she is doing everything she was told she wouldnt.

Laura is sharing her familys story to raise awareness of the importance of research into stem cell therapies, cord blood and tissue storage, and initiatives such as Cell Cares Sibling Cord Blood Collection program.

Visit http://www.cellcare.com.au for more information.

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Stem cell treatment for Cerebral Palsy: Aussie mum tells how baby was born to save her sister - 7NEWS