Home in a week is Willie's goal

Willie Terpstra is counting the days until she returns home to Rotorua after radical treatment in China for motor neurone disease.

It is a week since she had controversial surgery involving foetal cell transplants into her brain and she expects to remain in Beijing West Hill Hospital for another week.

In a progress report on her website, the 64-year-old said she was having speech therapy daily.

"I have to do practice like a baby ... I burst out laughing all the time. I have to sing as well - 'Doh Ray Me Fa So', etc."

She was so tired after the half-hour sessions "you wouldn't believe it".

But the attention from television and newspapers made her "feel like a queen".

Mrs Terpstra said she was surprised that "all the news channels are still talking about stem cells. It is olfactory ensheathing foetal cells, in short OEC.

"The surgery has nothing to do with stem cells. They come off the tip of the nose, in this case foetal cells," she said.

"If possible I would like to see that they use the cells from a family member because motor neurone disease people do not have healthy olfactory cells."

Daughter Ren said on Saturday that Mrs Terpstra was recovering well. Her speech became a little clearer each day.

"As long as she speaks slowly, one word at a time, we can understand her perfectly. Our only difficulty is getting her to slow down."

Mrs Terpstra had "a bit of a rough night" last Thursday.

The cramp in her legs that had plagued her before the operation returned twice and she had some nose bleeds during the night before waking with a headache.

"The doctor thought she might be a little dehydrated."

Said Mrs Terpstra: "I don't want to give anybody false hope but what do we have to lose? If you do nothing you die. I prefer to do something and with the support of my many friends, I am here.