Michael Delaney is not a great spectator.
The Black Sticks have been playing at home against India and the 19-year-old is not the only one who thinks he belongs on the turf.
“He’s awesome,” says New Zealand Juniors team mate, Jo Bartholomew. “If he didn’t break his neck, he’d be out there playing today. So it’s real’ sad.”
In December 2007 Jo Bartholomew, Delaney and their mates were at Wainui Beach.
Delaney dived in, knocked himself out and then discovered he could not move.
“They started walking away, so I just tried to hold my breath and went to sleep really,” explains Delaney.
Delaney had drowned and was still paralysed in hospital when his parents first laid eyes on him.
“As the 24 hours wore on we had a wee bit of a battle on our hands with him,” says Elaine Delaney, Michael’s mum. “Actually keeping him alive for a start, but I’ve been positive all the way through.”
Delaney was lucky. He had broken his neck in the same place as Superman actor Christopher Reeve, but instead of severing the spinal cord his was bruised.
Three operations later - with a fused neck - he had to learn to walk again.
A visit from the Black Sticks provided a much needed lift.
A year later at the hockey you would think he is fine, but he is not.
“My left side is perfect movement, but the feeling is altered. My right side has limited movement in leg and arm, but full sensation,” explains Delaney.
Delaney's condition is called Brown-Sequard syndrome.
Constant physiotherapy is the only treatment he thought was available to him. That was until his mum had a chat with a colleague.
“He'd met someone who'd had stem cell treatment and said why don't you try that with Michael and then on the TV there was a documentary about stem cell treatment,” says Elaine Delaney.
That was the story of four-year-old Maia Friedlander which aired on Campbell Live in December.
A stem cell injection of Maia's own cord blood saw a dramatic improvement in her development.
Elaine Delaney spoke to her doctor, researched the internet and found the X-cell Clinic in Germany which offers experimental treatment.
“We looked at a lot of places but this one was using Michael’s own bone marrow,” says Elaine. “We weren't prepared to put anything else into his body. And we talked to Michael about it. We needed to have him involved in this.”
He was reluctant at first for obvious reasons.
“I don't really want to go sleep again with the doctor saying I might not make it for the third time now,” says Michael. “We'll battle through that when we get there.”
The Delaneys have consulted to Dr James Faed. He is a haematologist at Otago University who is currently researching spinal cord injury repair.
He has not heard of the clinic and says the use of adult bone marrow misochimal stem cells into the spinal cord is still at an early stage.
“Some of the animal work has shown some interesting benefits, but it needs a lot more study,” states Dr Faed. “So I think there is important scope in doing this work in humans and there may be some benefit. Certainly some groups have found some evidence there might be some benefit.”
The German clinic says of the 1000 patients they have treated 30 percent have shown no improvement.
Delaney is yet to be examined by anyone from the clinic and Dr Faed says he needs to be wary.
“By and large I think people need to be cautious and get good advice before they consider taking part in studies like that,” continues Dr Fae. “Having said that, if no one ever went into a research study information would not come out on important topics that need to be studied.”
“At the end of the day I'm more excited than nervous ‘cause I've got faith in the doctors,” says Michael. “So hopefully everything goes to plan and I come back better than Superman.”
Michael Delaney has been unable to get any insurance for the $56,000 operation, but that will not stop his family leaving for Germany in April.
They are not expecting a 100 percent recovery, but would love to see him able to run again.
Then he might start thinking about a return to hockey.
Campbell LIVE