The world's first head transplant candidate left Russia for the United States, married and became a father
'06.03.2019'
Source: Today
Valery Spiridonov, the world's first candidate for a head transplant, managed to drastically change his life even after it became known that he would not be able to take part in a sensational experiment.
The unique operation was first talked about in April of 2015, Today... Spiridonov said that he was ready to become the volunteer whose head the Italian neurosurgeon Sergio Canavero would "sew" to someone else's dead body. Since then, the terms of the operation have been constantly postponed, and in June 2017 it became known that it was postponed indefinitely, since the doctor preferred to work with a Chinese patient.
“Canavero disappeared from my horizon after his cooperation with China began,” Spiridonov said. - It was two years ago. He assured that everything was going very well. However, I do not know about the details of what exactly he and Ren Xiaoping did or didn’t do. I, like you, would like to know more, and I think we have a right to do so. I supported the project with all my might from 2015 to 2017, and I still believe that this kind of technology should exist, at least as part of expanding the range of opportunities to save lives. ”
Since the beginning of 2018, Spiridonov has been in the USA. And not one, but with his wife Anastasia. The couple legitimized their relationship in Russia. In November, they had a son. Despite the fact that Spiridonov suffers from spinal muscular atrophy, which leads to almost complete immobilization of the patient, the child was born completely healthy. Speaking of his wife and son, Spiridonov speaks sparingly; he does not like to advertise his personal life.
“My wife has several higher educations in business and medicine, but most importantly, she is a wonderful spouse and a caring mother. I was very lucky to have her. We are united by common interests, aspirations and attitude to life. Our first acquaintance was associated with professional activities, - he stressed. - I do not deliberately disclose my son's personal data. He grows up - he will tell about himself, if he considers it necessary. I want him to have his own story, from scratch, without mentioning in the press next to an ambiguous dad. "
In America, Spiridonov lives in the town of Boca Raton, not far from Miami. In one of the universities in Florida, Valery receives a master's degree in computer technology and, therefore, is in the country for a study visa.
“It lasts exactly as long as is necessary for the training program,” explained Spiridonov. - I have been in the USA for a little more than three academic semesters. My typical day consists of three parts - educational, project and, of course, family. You need to find time for everything - such a period. At the university, in addition to the main subjects, I am in a research group - we are engaged in the application of artificial intelligence and computer vision for healthcare. I also continue to work in several directions remotely, as I did before. Days, in general, are not very normalized. The main thing is to find time for something that allows you to stop and enjoy the moment. For example - for a walk with the family in the park, a tour of the colonial-style estate and just to the beach, ”says Spiridonov.
According to Valery, in the US you can find something to learn. For example, creating an accessible environment for people with disabilities.
“In Florida, the attitude towards the accessible environment is not for show. If there is an elevator or lift, it is not locked and works. The ramp or curb ramps are made according to strict standards. Public transport is equipped with folding ramps. All this has been done not only for people with disabilities, of which there are about 10% in any country, but also for parents with baby strollers and elderly people. As a result, all categories of society feel equal comfort and caring attitude every day, including outside the home, he said. - There are, of course, some funny moments, which are more an exception characteristic of certain social strata. For example, there are houses with shared laundry rooms, which are used in turn. It is possible to justify in different ways that they are still preserved, but from the experience of my family I will say that in our first home it was unusual and inconvenient, fortunately we quickly changed it. Now we always pay attention to it ”.
Earlier, Sergio Kanavero, a neurosurgeon from Italy, at a press conference in Glasgow, Scotland, demonstrated a special surgical knife - a diamond scalpel, which will allow for the world's first head transplant operation, writes Today.
Sergio Canavero told reporters about a virtual reality system with which a person can learn to use a new body. “Professor Farid Amirush (a bioengineer at the University of Illinois at Chicago - ed.) Has created the sharpest and most accurate surgical knife on Earth. It will allow a very clean separation of the spinal cord from the brain with minimal damage to the nerve fibers. The creation of this innovative system is another step towards our main goal of making head transplant possible, ”said Sergio Canavero.
