STEM CELL THERAPY IN HONDURAS

Sun, sand, and experimental gene and stem cell therapy? Sure. But not without risk.

- BY RINA RAPHAEL

IT'S AN UNLIKELY PAIRING: swimming with sharks in the Caribbean Sea on Monday, then receiving stem cell injections on Tuesday. But that's what Jim Cripps signed up for. If you're going to get medical treatment, the thinking goes, might as well get treated in paradise.

For years, Cripps, 46, experienced arthritis pain in his knees. His doctor told him that he might want to consider knee replacement at some point in the future. The Tennessee business coach became increasingly health conscious, exploring treatments promoted by biohacking podcasters who dabbled in cold plunges and ozone therapy. He admittedly was "really kind of going down that rabbit hole."

Cripps wanted to find someone to fix his knees. In August 2023, he visited the GARM Clinic, a regenerative medicine center in Roatán, Honduras. He'd take a private boat tour of the island, do a bit of snorkeling, and then top it all off with stem cell treatment. The procedures, travel, and lodging would cost a little under $14,000. "My local doctor thought I was crazy," Cripps says with a laugh.

If Cripps is crazy, he's certainly not the only one. Pro golfer Brandt Snedeker turned to GARM's stem cell therapy for sports injuries, while Joe Rogan treated a torn rotator cuff with a doctor who has been affiliated with the clinic. If there were a dozen stem cell clinics several years ago, now there are a hundred. Americans, especially those with some extra cash, are willing to pay for the promise of a more able-bodied future: less sickness, fewer disabilities, and more strength. "There's this huge movement of people wanting to live longer," says Jonathan Edelheit, CEO of the Medical Tourism Association.

Bryan Johnson undergoing gene therapy at the GARM Clinic.