Quadriplegic Forced to Abandon Overseas Stem Cell Treatment

Imagine that you suffered from a severe disability, one for which there was no known cure. You had exhausted all the possibilities that were available to you in your home country but your research led you to discover a possible - but unproven - stem cell treatment abroad.

You decide to take the chance but then your provincial government places a ban on you travelling to receive treatment.

This happended to one man recently, he wasn't living in an oppresive regime - one which places restrictions on its citizen's travelling abroad, but in Australia. His story is below:

Quadriplegic forced to abandon overseas stem cell treatment

A decision by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) has forced a quadriplegic man to cancel a trip to China for controversial treatment using stem cells from aborted foetuses.

The 41-year-old Victorian man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has been a quadriplegic since he was involved in a car accident four years ago, and sees stem cell treatment as the key to a better life.

"I was hoping for at least for my pain to go away and get some hand movement so I can feed myself," he said.

On Thursday, the man's court-appointed administrator made an urgent application for a guardian to be appointed to assess his suitability for the treatment. The man was forced to surrender his passport and cancel his flight.

Janice Florence, from the group Paraquad, says people should be able to make their own decisions. "Everybody's got the right to take a risk, everybody should have hope," she said. "The case goes back to VCAT in July for a decision."