The parents of a little girl with cerebral palsy say they plan to seek out an experimental stem-cell treatment for their daughter south of the border.

Langley, B.C., resident Nicole Morris gave birth to twin girls, Kaylee and Savannah, two-and-a-half years ago. Born premature, Savannah developed a brain injury from lack of oxygen that left her with cerebral palsy.

The condition can cause severe motor and mental impairment. But preliminary research out of the United States has suggested that injecting children with umbilical cord stem cells might help mitigate effects of cerebral palsy.

Now Savannah's parents say they want to try the experimental therapy they hope will make her move normally, opting to pay thousands of dollars to receive the treatment that has yet to be proven in clinical trials.

"I want Savannah to walk so bad," Morris said. "That is more important than anything else."

Two years ago, a study at Duke University gave umbilical cord stem cells to another young cerebral palsy patient named Dallas Hextell. Researchers hypothesized that the stem cells would migrate to his brain and might help repair damage.

Within five days of the infusion, Dallas began to speak words. Two years later, he's starting swimming lessons and playing soccer.

A pair of studies are now underway in the U.S. to shed more light on whether stem cells can indeed help children with cerebral palsy. But the studies won't wrap up for two years, and Savannah's parents don't want to wait for further medical evidence.

This month, they hope to travel to California where a clinic has agreed to administer the treatment at a cost of US$24,000. Savannah will be injected with stem cells from the umbilical cord of her baby brother, Rider.

Researchers don't advise seeking stem cells treatments outside of a clinical setting.

"We would really only recommend that patients and families consider treatments with stem cells within the context of a registered clinical trial," said Dr. Michael Fehlings at the University Health Network in Toronto.

But Morris is adamant. "We need to do this," she says.

With a report from CTV's medical specialist Avis Favaro and producer Elizabeth St. Philip