Father's fight for life; Scott's aim is to see his son grow up.

Byline: By Graeme Whitfield

A FATHER who is getting stem cell therapy to slow down the effects of a degenerative brain disease has told how his treatment has started in China.

Scott Nugent, 35, from Whitley Bay, North Tyneside, has begun the treatment which he hopes will slow the effects of the inherited genetic disorder spinocerebellar ataxia for long enough so that he can see his two-year-old son George grow up.

He has travelled to China with friend Steve Payne, who is writing a diary of the trip for The Journal.

In the diary, Mr Payne says: "Scott's having acupuncture now, then electro wave therapy, which is a bit like those electric ABS belts you can buy if you want a six pack but are too lazy to go to the gym. Then it is the tense wait till 2.30pm and the first stem cell treatment.

"The hospital staff have been filming Scott doing various motor skill tasks and have taken samples of his writing for comparison during treatment so that should give a good indication of any initial improvement. Scott has just gone in to the stem cell clinic. The Chinese doctor in charge decided that he wouldn't allow the cameras in, so there has been a bit of a row, as poor Scott was lying on his trolley bed waiting to go in."

Mr Nugent suffers from the rare inherited genetic disorder which has already claimed the lives of his eight-month-old son Oliver and mother June, 58. There is no cure or treatment for the illness, which leaves sufferers unable to walk, talk, eat or see.

But Chinese doctors have had some success with stem cell treatment in easing the symptoms for other ataxia victims.

To read the full diary from the first six days of Scott's trip to China, go to www.journallive.co.uk

CAPTION(S):

STARTING TREATMENT: Brain disease victim Scott Nugent in China.; FAMILY MAN: Scott Nugent with his wife Louise and son George, two, at their home in Whitley Bay.