Mother wants refund for experimental stem cell treatment

The mother of a woman dying ofALSsays she wants a return of the $20,000 USshe paid as a deposit for experimental stem cell therapy.

KateMillarsays she asked DougBroeskafor a refund last week.In response, hesent her a form to fill out, releasing her 35-year-old daughter, JaimeWild, from the clinical study involved.

• View the patient withdrawl form here

Millarsays she hasn't heard anything back since she returned the form.

"She's just getting worse every day and the stress of this doesn't help her at all,"Millarsaid in a Skype interview from Queensland, Australia.

"We were taking her there for stem cell treatment in hope of slowing it down. We believe they're going to come up with a cure for the disease soon, and we need to keep her going long enough to come up with this cure."

The treatment inPune, India, involves widening the veins of the neck, then injecting the patient's own stem cells inside.

About 70 multiple sclerosis patients have been recruited throughBroeska'sWinnipeg-based company,Regenetek.

They pay up to $45,000 US for the treatment, although several havesaid they received no followup after returning home.

Many patients have reported feeling better after the treatment. Others say they saw no improvement.

Millarsays she first heard of concerns overBroeska'sacademic qualifications when a local nurse contacted her several weeks ago.

I don't want to cause him any heartache or anything.I just need this money back.- Kate Millar

In aLinkedInprofile and CV,Broeskaclaimed to have a PhD from the University of Manitoba. The university says that is not true.

Broeskahas produced a PhD certificate fromBrightlandUniversity as proof of his qualifications.That university is unaccredited in the United Statesand United Kingdom, and the University of Manitoba confirms it would not recognize a degree obtained from there.

Read BrightlandUniversity's responseto a query about its degree program here.The messagewas provided by a member of the public to CBC News.

The medical research group in India has disassociated itself fromBroeska, saying it also has questions about his qualifications and research methodology.

In December, it replaced him as principal investigator for the study after an independent ethics board ruled his involvement didn't meet international standards.

The University of Winnipeg's ethics board has also rejected a proposal to do followup rehabilitation with patients recruited throughRegenetek.

Atleast three patients in Canada have brought concerns aboutBroeskato the RCMP and Manitoba's College of Physicians and Surgeons.Neither organization will say whether they are investigating.One person has also contacted the Canada Revenue Agency.

After doing some of her own research,Millarsays she no longer had confidence inBroeskaor his company,Regenetek, so she asked for her money back.

"When I was talking to him through Messenger,[Broeskasaid]he understood my position because he had a daughter the same age as mine and he understood the way I felt," she said.

"Maybe he just needs to remember that. I don't want to cause him any heartache or anything.I just need this money back."

Millarsaysshe'll use the money to get her daughter stem cell treatment in Israel instead.

Broeskahas not done any interviews since this controversy broke. In response to a query aboutMillar'sdeposit, he and his PR company provided the following statement:

"In the interest of privacy protection and to preserve participant confidentiality, Dr.Broeskawill not make specific comments about any one participant in the study. Dr.Broeskawill follow-up personally with all participants in regards to changing their enrolment status and processing refunds."

In a statement last month,Regeneteksaid, "Participants desiring an enrolment refund will be fully accommodated."

KateMillarhopes that's true.

"We just want our money back. I just need to try and get treatment for my daughter."