Doctor says Wu Shu-chen may be able to walk again

First lady Wu Shu-chen (吳淑珍) was offered the chance yesterday to take part in a controversial new surgery which one doctor says might cure her 16-year-old paralysis.

A Veterans General Hospital surgeon, Cheng Hung-chi (鄭宏志), said yesterday that he has developed a unique formula called "nerve glue" (神經膠), which he says could help to re-link her spinal cord.

According to Chen, more than 50 patients are currently receiving his medical treatment and a number of them have regained some movement.

The glue works by stimulating injured cells so that they regenerate new cells. However, if old wounds cannot be healed, a nerve transplant from other parts of the body can also be undertaken, Cheng said yesterday at an academic seminar on bio-medical technology.

Cheng extended his invitation to Wu in public yesterday, saying that "if the first lady is interested, [I will] leave it to the presidential medical team to evaluate the possibility of her taking part in the experiment."

Cheng said that the experiment will end in September and he would draw conclusions from his research at that time.

The first lady is reportedly impressed with Cheng's work.

Wu was paralyzed in 1985 while she accompanied then Tainan County Commissioner candidate Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) to thank voters for their support after losing the race. Wu was knocked down by a truck in an alley, which then drove backwards, ran over her legs, pulled forward and ran over her again.

She has remained in a wheelchair ever since the politically motivated vehicular attack.