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John volunteered to be one of the first people in the united states to participate in an operation to inject stem cells directly into his spine. it's called a phase one clinical trial. this is the first step. no one knows what will happen. >> here's how john got to this place. >> two years ago i was running, playing golf. >> and then gradually, literally, he began to lose it. >> started tripping and kind of like we thought it was like a foot drop and started catching my foot on bricks and curbs and started losing my balance initially and then developed a limp in my right leg. i lost the dexter...

First up, though, for more than a decade, we have been hearing about the promise stem cells may or may not hold but they haven't produced a single proven cure backed by solid science so far. but now the first fda-approved clinical stem cell research is under way. i was able to follow a patient on his incredible journey. john cornig has a terrible illness for which there is no cure. can you imagine hearing this from your surgeon? >> i don't honestly think this is going to make you better. >> right. >> which means that the reason you're doing this is to help other people. >> right. >> right? >> ...

The nerve cells in the spine and brain that control muscle movement detroyed. when the brain can no longer tell muscles to move, the muscles wither away. eventually the diagram as well that pulls and pushes air into the lungs. think about that. the brain is fine but you simply cannot breathe. john knows there is no cure for als and so does his wife and his two daughters. >> my first thoughts were i hated for my girls to see me go through this. >> so today is a historic day. what we are going to see is the first fda-approved clinical trial for fetal stem cells in dults. it is remarkable. obviou...

I'm on the faculty, as well. if john's progress as promising as two previous participants, more patients will have the particular procedure. i should point out, john's wife gina found out about the trial going to the internet. to learn more, go to www.alsa.org. that's the als association. now, a massive headache. it's called a thunder clap headache by doctors. one viewer wants the know what causes the pain. i have an answer. she was the focus of an oscar-winning documentary. she can tell us about perseverance and overcoming obstacles. wait until you hear her voice. she gave us a preview. a...

In fact, the nerve cells begin to look healthy. >> so it's worth pointing out as john is going into the operating room, how important today is. the question they're really trying to answer, though, the most important question at this point is are these cells safe? is anything bad going to happen as a result of this operation? getting stem cells into john's spinal cord is not easy. it took this surgeon dr. nick bulis years to design this platform for the needle to deliver the stem cells into the spinal cord. this is a huge breakthrough. >> one thing that's critical is the injection done in a sl...