Published: May 15, 2008 12:10 am      

Fundraiser to benefit girl

Salon supports experimental CP treatment for Taytum Johnson, 2

Ashland — After Anna Johnson saw a story on NBC’s “Today” show about an experimental treatment for cerebral palsy, she was on a mission.

Johnson’s daughter, Taytum, 2, developed CP when she was 2 weeks old following a bout of bacterial meningitis. According to the television news report, the child who received stem cell therapy using his own cells showed drastic improvement very quickly.

Johnson, a nail technician who has worked at Identity, a salon on 16th Street in Ashland, since August, began researching the treatment, eventually turning to YouTube.com, where she got in contact with a physician who told her Taytum would be a good candidate for the treatment because she wasn’t born with CP.

“Our problem is that we don’t have our own stem cells,” the mother of two said. “If I ever had another child, I would save the stem cells.”

However, she said, matching stem cells isn’t as difficult as finding a bone marrow donor.

“I asked (the doctor) if we might get there and then it not happen, but the doctor said it’s going to happen,” Johnson said. “Taytum will have to have some testing to see which lot of stem cells will be a match. He had greater hopes because she wasn’t born with it. The body is usually more accepting of (stem cell therapy).”

This new stem cell therapy yields varying results, but Johnson said she would be happy with any improvement.

“If it would help with her muscle tone, it would help with her therapy,” she said.

Taytum would receive four treatments costing a total of $15,500 at a clinic in Costa Rica. They plan to leave May 31 and expect they’ll need at least another $3,000 for transportation, lodging and meals for Johnson, her husband, Jack, and Taytum. Their 8-year-old, Hannah O’Bryan, will stay in the states and finish her last week of school for the year.

The employees at Identity are working together to help the Johnsons get Taytum the treatment that could drastically improve her potential and her quality of life.

On Saturday, the salon will have a fundraiser to help the Johnsons. Donations will be accepted but there also will be a silent auction, bounce houses, face painting, hula hoop performers, live music and food for sale.

On a daily basis, employees keep collection jars at their work stations; the employee who has the least amount in donations come Saturday will be sentenced to kissing an animal, the species of which is determined on that day, Tina Goad, salon manager, said.

So far, their efforts have generated $8,000. There is an account at National City Bank in Taytum’s name, and the Johnsons are grateful for all the help.

“They are a great bunch of people,” Johnson said. “They’re wonderful people.”

LEE WARD can be reached at lward@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2661.