Premier meets Roki and family

Roki Mills and his family meet Premier Mike Baird for help in their campaign for stem cell blood trials

Ina Mills gives her son Roki, 3, physical therapy at their Newport home. Picture: Troy Snook

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The family of a brain-injured toddler have met Premier Mike Baird.

Ina and Dave Mills introduced their three-year-old son Roki to the Premier last week as part of the campaign for government-backed cord blood trials.

Roki was starved of oxygen at birth and has severe quadriplegic cerebral palsy.

The family have already made three trips to India for stem cell therapy, a controversial treatment which is unavailable in Australia.

David and Ina Mills give son Roki, 3, physical therapy at their Newport home. Picture: Troy Snook

Mrs Mills said the private meeting went well, even though Roki was sick. “We’d like support and backing for the Foundation and he said that he would endeavour to help us,” Mrs Mills said.

“The premier hadn’t met Roki before and it was very important for him to see the whole of our family.”

Mrs Mills said they talked through a number of important issues.

“He told us he would write to the Health Minister Jillian Skinner and to Professor Iona Novak, head of research at Cerebral Palsy Alliance Research Institute, who is leading the first privately funded trial,” she said. “He told us that he would let us know when he got any feedback.”

Mrs Mills also spoke about the necessity for providing new parents with information. “We talked about putting pamphlets into neonatal units, parents need choices,” she said.

Ina and Dave Mills celebrate Roki’s third birthday in July with his sisters, Ruby, 4, and seven-month-old Rosie. Picture: Troy Snook

Mrs Mills also lobbied the government through an online petition for financial support for stem cell treatment trials. It has had over 1000 signatures.

To sign the petition, visit change.org and type in Ina Mills. To fund Roki’s treatment, go to rokiroad.com.