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Zara, six, sat on a hospital bed surrounded by her family. A play therapist distracted her with toys while, via a thin IV line, a small but powerful gift flowed into her veins — her own umbilical cord blood. It was a moment 18 months in the making, and the culmination of tireless advocacy, scientific rigour, and institutional coordination. Most importantly, it was a moment of hope.

The procedure, carried out at Monash Children’s Hospital in Melbourne in April 2025, is the first of its kind in Australia: an autologous (self-donated) cord blood infusion used as therapy for cerebral palsy. Backed by Cerebral Palsy Alliance’s Research Institute, the treatment was enabled through the Therapeutic Goods Administration’s Special Access Scheme, in partnership with Cell Care and Hudson Institute of Medical Research.

“This is something new in Australia,” said Professor Michael Fahey, Zara’s treating neurologist. “No one has received autologous cells in this setting before. We had to plan every detail to the minute to ensure safety and compliance.”

Cord blood therapy has been researched internationally for over a decade, showing promise in improving movement and neurodevelopment in children with cerebral palsy. But until now, Australian families have had to travel abroad to access it — often at great personal cost. CPA estimates hundreds of families have done just that, despite growing demand for local treatment options.

Dr Megan Finch-Edmondson, a senior research fellow at CPA, has been a key driver of the push for local access. “This therapy is not a cure,” she said, “but it has demonstrated safety and the potential to improve functional outcomes for some children. For families, even a small gain can mean a major difference in daily life.”

The lead story in today’s Wrap is a well-told and highly emotive picture of a family determined to ensure a cherished daughter grows up surrounded by the support and love necessary for everyone, with or without a disability, to thrive.

Last Monday’s lead, by psychologist Scarlett Wong, was equally powerful in describing the particular pain suffered by vulnerable people with disability in the Gaza strip.

abilityNEWS is focused solely on the situation of people with disability. When, however, as a matter of policy, not enough food is allowed in day-after-day to feed everyone, it does becomes difficult to distinguish exactly how such a situation differs from genocide.