Stem Cell Operation to be done in Bahamas

Karly Pollack was born without some of the natural coating that surrounds nerve tissue in the brain and spinal cord called the myelin sheath.

A breakdown in the insulation around nerve fibers causes problems with vision, walking, talking and memory. Those with multiple sclerosis face similar hurdles when MS strikes and wears away their myelin.

Her family left Sunday for the Bahamas where a California doctor will perform the treatment using cells harvested from umbilical cord blood. Her parents hope for bigger gains after the cell transplant. The results should be apparent in six months, they were told.