Three Bangladeshis suffering from a highly debilitating muscular dystrophy, who arrived in Mumbai on Sunday have begun their treatment at a Navi Mumbai spine clinic.

Abdus, Rahinul and Shorab aged 24, 14 and 8 respectively were diagnosed with this crippling disease at the time of their birth.

They arrived on Sunday evening and we started the treatment on Monday, said Avantika Patil, spokesperson NeuroGen Brain and Spine Institute in Seawoods, Navi Mumbai, who is treating them for free.

They are undergoing an autologous bone marrow derived stem cell treatment. Stem cells are taken from the bone marrow in their hip bone, treated in our lab and then injected into to the patients again. We will provide a combination of stem cell therapy and neuro-rehabilitation which will also includes yoga and speech therapy sessions, Patil explained.

While the hospital is not willing to say what kind of progress can be expected in these particular cases, they revealed that in one case, a bed-ridden patient was able to walk slowly after six years of treatment.

In January, fruit seller Tofazzal Hossain sparked a rare debate about euthanasia in conservative Bangladesh in January when he pleaded with the authorities to allow his grandson and two sons to die.

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Stem cell treatment begins for dystrophy patients from Bangladesh - Daily News & Analysis