Starting with the first call from Dr. Lopez; it was obvious that everything was about & for the patient. Explanations about the procedure, treatment, travel, accommodations, nothing was overlooked. Transportation to & from the clinic was effortless. Meeting us by staff and escorting us to our room immediately starting treatment, constant nurse care & coordinator care, after Dr. Lopez came & spoke with us about procedures.

Dr. Lopez has been in constant contact with us, either by telephone or email. The standard of excellence exceeds excellence. The follow-up is unprecedented. We have never had this sense of caring from any other doctor, clinic or hospital as we have from Dr. Lopez and her team. Everything is seamless and was seamless, not only is she my doctor but someone I have total trust in.

We highly recommend this clinic to everyone, without any hesitation, and have. It is truly an amazing experience with much love, care, and class.

-Jacob Bakker

I have Stage 1 breast cancer and did not want to do any traditional medical treatment (surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy). I knew my body was sick and did not want to do anything that would sicken it more. I wanted to cure my cancer by making my body healthy.

Gerson Therapy made a lot of sense to me but I also wanted the ammunition of additional therapies, ie the Coley shots, Autologous vaccines, etc. In October 2013 I went to a wonderful Mexican clinic run by Dr. Lopez that was wonderfully staffed and completely professional. Dr. Lopez always made me feel so reassured with her upbeat attitude and deep knowledge and understanding of the process. I’m so glad she remains my doctor. We follow up on my progress and she examines my blood and test results and tweaks my therapy as needed. I feel very lucky to have discovered healthy alternatives and Dr. Lopez.

– Vicky McCabe

In 2013 I was diagnosed with breast cancer and after much research and deliberation chose the alternative path to healing via the Gerson Therapy and other advanced immuno-therapies. I spent three weeks at the alternative clinic in Mexico and that’s when I met the wonderful Dr. Rivkah Lopez.

Dr. Lopez is possibly one of the most caring people I have ever met, and her ongoing very positive support has been phenomenal. Her conventional training as well as her extensive knowledge and experience in alternative and advanced immuno-therapies has given me the confidence to follow my instincts to naturally heal.

New cancer patients, particularly those like me who have chosen not to follow the conventional route, are full of questions, and Dr. Lopez’s untiring patience and reassurance have without a doubt been one of the major factors that have helped me come to grips with the whole body healing process. Although I am now well on the way to healing, I still have a long way to go and the knowledge that Dr. Lopez will continue to provide her support until I am totally healed is very reassuring.

-Julia Young

I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer, I went through a Lumpectomy, my Doctors suggested Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy, I only agreed to radiation.

I decided to have the Autologous Stem Cell Treatment, which was very simple.

Before having radiation treatment, my doctor warned me that my skin was going to suffer considerable side effects from the radiation including ulcers, swelling, blotchiness and to be prepared for this.

The stem cells protected me from the side effects of radiation, thanks to the treatment none of that happened; now I feel very healthy and I am certainly enjoying my life with my family and I’m happy.

-Mrs. Sonia Jusino Thuna

It was toward the end of August 2009, when I received a telephone call from Dr. Lopez, informing me that someone had provided funds for me to undergo a Stem Cell procedure, I discussed the opportunity with other leaders from the HaShem Synagogue in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.A.

They were all in agreement that I should walk through this open door. She called me on a Wednesday morning and I arrived on Friday afternoon in Tijuana, Mexico and checked in to the hotel, Dr. Lopez picked me up early Saturday morning and took me to the hospital.   Everything was handled professionally and within four to five hours, I was back at the hotel.

On June 19th, 2009 I had surgery for prostate cancer. Two weeks later, possibly connected to the surgery I started suffering from horrendous pains, my Sciatic nerve had been damaged or disturbed and was causing me a lot of pain and for more than six weeks I was in horrific pain.

By the time Dr. Lopez called me back I was showing signs of improvement and within three to four days, I was doing much better. Just one week later, I was no longer in pain and have been pain-free since. I flew back to Las Vegas on that Sunday and since then my health has continued to improve. I appreciate the medical assistance that was given and felt that I was definitely in the hands of professionals. I am also grateful for the care and concern of Dr. Lopez and her staff. I would recommend Stem Cell Procedure and I felt happier about the treatment because the cells were my own from my own body.

-Rabbi Shmuel Openheim

I started very early with Joint disease and suffered severe pain, I had to take an endless amount of drugs including steroids to ease the pain and swelling.

Several years ago I had to have my knee replaced because my own was so severely damaged from arthritis. After the surgery my problems didn’t stop there I developed Diabetes and I had to try and regulate it with insulin, unfortunately, my glucose levels were still difficult to control.

Last year my doctor told me that my other knee was also damaged significantly from arthritis and needed replacing, I was taking so many painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs that I was also suffering from side effects from those. A close friend of mine told me about Stem Cell Treatment and I decided to try it.

I started researching and I read a lot about it, I thought that this was what I needed, I was not wrong, I had the treatment. There were no complications at all, it was not painful, and it was very simple and within two days I was back in New York. I was very impressed with the attention and professionalism of Dr. Lopez and her team, everything was excellent!

Today I can say I am no longer taking any pain medication or steroids, plus I stopped using insulin. Definitely, it was what I needed.

-Allan Cohen

“If you are reading this it means that either you, a friend, or a loved one has been diagnosed with Cancer.

I was diagnosed 11 years ago with Prostate Cancer with a PSA of 18 and a Gleason Score of 4+5=9.  Dr. Lopez has years of experience in dealing with Cancer patients, for me, her protocol began by rebuilding and reprogramming my immune system using Immunotherapy. Dr. Lopez works on stimulating your own immune system against the Cancer. Her protocol trains and stimulates your own immune system to attack your cancer cells. I stayed in a hotel and was treated in my hotel room that is set up like a hospital room. The surroundings are very good with an amazing Nurse that was assigned to me. My oncologist at home is very pleased with my results and his words to me were ‘Sam we cannot do this here!’

I do recommend anyone dealing with Cancer or any type of illness to contact Dr. Lopez and her team and at the very least speak with her, she quickly gets back to you.”

On April 2nd, I flew to San Diego, CA. from Boise, ID. en route to the Renovation Advanced Therapy Center in Tijuana, Mexico, to receive stem cell treatment for my Multiple Sclerosis. My boyfriend, Chris accompanied me on my journey to Mexico. We were driven from the airport in San Diego to the clinic in Tijuana, where we received a wonderful welcome from the nurses and medical personnel. Dr. Lopez arrived a little later and she was attentive, professional, and knowledgeable. After some blood tests, we were served a delicious meal specially prepared for patients. After meeting with her, I felt very confident and liked her very much. They arranged for a short trip to the beach with both nurses keeping me company. My MS made me feel physically weak, but I was very happy, and optimistic emotionally. My surgery took a couple of hours, and it went very well. I was told that my stem cells were very active, healthy, and high quality. That made me feel very happy.  After my stem cells were transferred back to me, I was wheeled back to my room.   When we arrived there, I stood straight up, from the wheelchair, and walked, unassisted, across our room to sit on the bed. I felt no pain, no body aches, and my lower back, and legs felt strong. I hadn’t felt that good or had been able to walk that good, in a long time! I was able to sit up straight, with no feelings of weakness. Next, I was given two injections.  One, on each side that I think, consisted of more of my stem cells.

We enjoyed lunch, and dinner and my nurses were wonderful to us. They were always so attentive and watching over me. I had 24-hour nursing care, the whole time that I was at the Renovation Advanced Therapy Center. Ever since my stem cell treatment, I have been able to sleep for 8 hours a night.  I don’t have insomnia, anymore. I have regained my equilibrium, and my inner strength, too! The next morning, we got up early, I got washed, and ready for the day.  We had a good breakfast in our room. Dr. Lopez came over, to check on me, and to say goodbye to us. We took pictures, with her, and my wonderful nurses, Blanca, and Alma, and we all went down to the reception area, together. Their driver was there to meet us at 10:30 am to drive us across the border to the San Diego airport, to catch our return flight home to Boise, Idaho.  I had no problems walking, unassisted, through both airports.  I felt so amazed and so thankful that I felt so good, so soon.  I know that I still have a few months for my stem cells to repair the damage, caused by my MS, but I really feel confident that they will because I already feel so much better!  I will always be thankful to God, to Dr. Lopez, and to my nurses, who have really given me a second chance at living a normal life, again!  They all treated us, like family, and we will always think of them that way, too!  I pray that Stem Cell treatments will be accepted by health insurance soon, so everyone, with MS, can afford to get treatments.

-Sharon Mander

My name is Chris Altman and I am the longtime boyfriend of Ms. Sharon Mander. This is my story from the eyes and heart of a man that understands and saw firsthand what MS can and does do. It is not my intention to depress anyone, but I write in a hope that it will give encouragement to the husbands or boyfriends or family and yes, the significant other in someone’s life. During the few years before we finally found out about her MS, I was stressed beyond what I thought I could handle. I watched a woman that I love more than life going downhill, and I was literally helpless to do anything. We knew something was wrong but we couldn’t even get a neurologist to examine her because as one doctor said …” we are only taking younger patients”. I went ballistic.

My anger at the entire medical system was intense… but I finally found a way to turn that into something positive and began a search for what we believed was going on. Finally, a few years ago a doctor sent us to a local neurologist and after one MRI and an exam…we were told what we felt. Sharon was diagnosed with MS. I was devastated and didn’t know what to do. Between that time of the diagnosis and the time we went to see Dr. Rebeca Lopez in Mexico, we both began a study online about MS and what could we do to stop it or at least slow it down. Hundreds of hours reading and educating ourselves about the cause, treatments, and the effects of what it would eventually do to her. I braced myself for the worst. I am a little ashamed to say that, but I thought this will be the end.

So as time went on I became more desperate and more determined to find some way to help her. She was constantly in pain and could seldom walk 50 feet across our yard. To see a woman you love that was a model, full of vibrant life and energy, and a woman with a passion for everything from saving the whales to feeding baby birds not be able to do this any longer was devastating to her and to myself. She no longer had the strength to ride her horse, or take walks with me, walk the dog or much of anything. So, I started doing all the things she used to enjoy doing. I did laundry, cleaned and mopped floors, vac the carpets, folded clothes, went shopping and so many other things I did that she could no longer enjoy doing. These were things that she always loved doing. She had trouble going up the stairs to go to bed and coming down was a chore where she had to literally scoot herself down step by step. Her pain was eating me up inside and I felt so helpless.

After some frustrating attempts at finding help in the US due to FDA red tape and regulations, Sharon received a call from the medical staff at a clinic in San Diego, referring us to Dr. Rivkah Lopez in Mexico.

I remember thinking that maybe this is her chance, and maybe we can get her some help. After talking with her we were convinced that this was where we were going. So, we took a huge step of faith and a leap of courage. We started taking steps to get everything ready to go.

What we found were many things but what impressed us was the total professionalism that was shown the entire time we were there. My optimism started getting stronger and my hope stronger than ever before. The total and very genuine caring that was given her and myself was way beyond what I even expected. Professional in literally every aspect of the therapy. Three days later we came home, and Sharon has her second chance. The day Sharon had received her stem cells was a Tuesday and that afternoon she got up from a wheelchair and walked across the hospital room we had been provided with, with a straight back, sat on the bed with a straight back and crossed her legs. She had not been able to do that for years. I cried real deep down inside with a hope and a joy I had not had in years. Wednesday we came home. Sharon walked through two airports without any stop. This was exciting for us and amazing. She sleeps now a full 8 hours and has little to no pain in her legs, no numbness in her hands or legs, she is also able to go into the REM sleep that she had not had much of in years.

I know we are just getting started on this great adventure of living a life with a second chance, but to all the men or women out there please do not give up. Keep that love of your companion alive and keep it strong. Don’t turn away from God in anger but run to him in hope, love, and faith. I am not the best Christian man on this planet for sure, but I know inside he heard me, and he gave her this second chance. When it gets hard, grit your teeth and keep on going, hold the hand of the person with MS, laugh when things are not funny, keep humor alive, trust in your heartfelt and gut felt feelings. Don’t shy away when they can’t do dishes or laundry but hold them close and let them know you love them. The person with MS is often scared beyond words that you will leave. Don’t ever let them think that will happen.

Anyway, my deepest respect for Dr. Lopez and her staff. I love all of you folks, I admire your deep desires to help people with MS. So, if anyone takes time to read this, and I hope they do. Know this. Stem cell therapy is a newer medical science, but I believe it is the way for many to get over many diseases, and in particular MS.

Thank you, Dr. Lopez. If anyone cares to speak to me my name is Chris Altman and you can call me at my home phone number day or night. If you ask Dr. Lopez for my number I want to help you in any way I can. Call if you get scared, or just need to talk. I am here for anyone that I can encourage.

Respectfully, Chris Altman Sr.

The big day finally arrived, stem cell therapy, here I come! I left at midnight from Anchorage and arrived in San Diego at 8:30 a.m. September 24, 2018. I met up with my beautiful sister-in-law, Tasha, who was my emotional support and prayer warrior. The very minute I spotted her by the baggage claim, our driver coming from Tijuana texted me saying I needed to go outside to the G-Zone and wait. 5 minutes later he pulls up in a mini-van. We drove right across the border passed a couple of guards but didn’t even stop. We arrived at our hotel 32 minutes later.

Stem Cell Therapy at the twin towers

The hotel has 2 towers, one tower has hotel rooms and the other tower is just clinics and businesses mostly related to health. The tower with the rooms has two floors designated just for the clinics. When we arrived I had no idea what would happen and was relieved that as we stepped in the front door of the hotel the patient coordinator met us and led us straight to our room. The room had a hospital bed and a regular twin bed for the guest. A bathroom that had a spigot with just filtered water from it. It was a very nice setup, perfect for those getting a medical treatment done. I was on a detox diet and they gave me fresh green juice at every meal and organic fruit and vegetables. They were very good to provide good quality, healthy food.

Stem cell injections in my knees happened here and many IV’s!

Immediately after we get settled in our room the nurse comes to draw blood. They are going the check my blood for the antibodies there and then create an anti-TNF vaccine to help my immune system fight the disease. This technology is not available in the US and I was really excited to be getting it in Mexico. I had been a little trepidation about going to Mexico. Initially, when I looked into stem cell therapy I had contacted Stem Genex. They are a very reputable company and I was very impressed with my interaction with them. They were very honest in saying I needed more help than they could provide in the US and referred me to Dr. Rivkah Lopez. I appreciated getting a good referral.

After they took my blood the nurse set up an IV of Proteolytic Enzymes. I learned that this was an amazing anti-inflammatory better the NSAIDs and didn’t have the side effects. I was impressed because when I flew down I was on drops for my eye that was struggling with iritis. After the IV of enzymes, I didn’t have to take the drops. Doctor Lopez came in and spent the next hour and a half getting a very thorough patient history. When I was 3 months old, I had thrush in my mouth that took a long time to resolve. She said that anytime a person struggles with something for over 6 months it turns into a chronic illness which means that my immune system was struggling from the very beginning. To make matters worse at the age of 6, I had chickenpox, Mononucleosis, and strep throat all at the same time. To top it off, I learned that lead toxicity even as a child. I remember getting a very metallic taste in my mouth if I touched metal. I avoided eating off of spoons and anytime I heard metal scraping against metal I would get that same metallic taste! All of these things contributed to my downfall in Malawi. My body was primed and ready.

When the proteolytic enzyme IV was finished, the Detox IV was started. It took a couple of hours for that to finish and then an IV of amino acids was started! The amino acid IV has to be a pretty slow drip because it burns as it goes in if it is dripping too fast.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber

Helps with my rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and the unknown.
That evening from 4:30-6:00 p.m. the doctor scheduled a session in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber. I was taken in a wheelchair down to the lobby and then wheeled over to the other tower where the clinics are. The oxygen chamber was on the ground floor. It looked like a small submarine. It was very strange to climb in this metal capsule. I was glad I was not claustrophobic! The door was shut and sealed and then they began to build up the pressure. It was like flying in an airplane, but instead of my ears popping occasionally, I had to swallow about every 30-40 seconds to relieve the pressure in my ears. My mouth got really dry and I had to concentrate and producing enough saliva for the next swallow! It took about 15 minutes to get up to pressure, I was then instructed to put on a mask to breathe through. It provided fresh oxygen to me. It reminded me of the good old days, back when I was a firefighter. I thought about the times we had to get all our gear on in under a minute. The mask was heavy and it hurt my neck if I wasn’t careful how I sat.

My ungraceful exit of the Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber

To pass time, I recited bible verses and looked at my watch far too often. Psalm 103:1-5 was one of my favorites, especially verse three, “Who forgives all your iniquities: who heals all your diseases.” Isaiah 53:5 is another favorite, “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him: and with his stripes, we are healed.” I prayed for health, peace and that He would use everything done to me for good. It was a very good time to sit and spend with the Lord, but I was very glad when the time came to get out of the oxygen chamber.

That evening Tasha and I had a wonderful meal and a good bible reading together. We prayed for the procedure that was to happen on Tuesday and wondered what exactly was going to happen. Everything was somewhat of a mystery until it happened!

-Bethany Zyelinske

The Renovation Advanced Therapy Center

Tijuana wasn’t anything at all like I expected. A modern, bustling metropolis, its downtown area bristled with high-rise office buildings and luxury hotels, its sidewalks crowded with well-dressed people presumably going to work or frequenting the many shops and bistros lining the busy boulevards.

The Renovation Advanced Therapy Center was located on the twenty-third floor of a 5-star hotel, the Grande Hotel on Agua Caliente Boulevard, on one of several floors occupied by medical clinics, physician’s offices, and a private hospital. All facilities were modern and up to date, and although I am not an expert in the field of hospital equipment and apparatus, the IV area, the pre-op room, and the operating room, (all COFEPRI, the Mexican health authority, approved), appeared to be as well-equipped and as modern as any I’d experienced at home in Anchorage.

My room, a 5-star hotel room in a section of the hotel reserved for medical guests, was comfortable and plush.

Dr. Lopez and her Staff

Upon my arrival I was greeted by Dr. Lopez and her staff. Dr. Lopez, a Colegio de Especialidad, board certified surgeon of more than twenty-seven years, founder and Medical Director of the Renovation Advanced Therapy Center for the last seventeen years, came across as an extremely dedicated professional committed to the successful fulfillment of the promises of regenerative stem cell therapies. She was generous to a fault with her time, answering each and every question of mine, no matter how technical, to my complete satisfaction.

Blanca Corpi, the patient coordinator, a cheerful, tireless administrator, was available day and night to attend to every detail necessary to make my stay a successful one.

Dulce Pacheco, RN, a surgical nurse, was at my side from morning till night checking hourly vitals, temperature and blood pressure, administering shots and pills, and attending to other needs as necessary (like fixing my cell phone which went on the blink). Other RN staff kept vigil in my room throughout the night. (I had twenty-four hour nursing care). I was extremely impressed with the friendliness and professionalism of the entire staff. Oh, and by the way, everyone spoke fluent English.

The Procedure

Shortly after arrival I was wheeled into the IV area where blood was drawn and a six-hour detoxification drip was administered. Because the results of my blood work revealed that certain antibodies affecting my immune system were low, an eight-week program of self-administered, anti-TNF injections, one a week, was prescribed.

The following morning, after a light breakfast and donning a surgical gown, I was wheeled into the operating room. There, Dr. Lopez, the supervising surgeon, and an operating surgeon waited for me along with nurses and orderlies. A topical anesthetic was applied to the eye. The procedure, the infusion of twenty-million MSCs and ten-million neural stem cells went quite smoothly and took a little less than an hour. I was then blindfolded and returned to my room. Dulce Pacheco, my surgical nurse, then injected me with exosomes, small extracellular vesicles that play a crucial role in the communication between cells and the transport of genetic data and proteins.

The procedure was relatively painless. I experienced no side effects beyond a mild soreness at the infusion site the following morning. It dissipated in a day.

A Final Thought

Knowing what I know now, would I still travel to the Renovation Advanced Therapy Center for stem cell therapy?

Absolutely!

-Gerald Pflugh