RYAN MULLEN poured his life savings into jetting to the former cocaine capital of the world to have cells from an umbilical cord injected into his leg.
But he reckons it was worth every penny after being hostage to an injury that could have ended his career.
Ryan Mullen suffered the injury as a kid at Celtic – but rushed back too soon and it only got worse[/caption]
He flew to hometown of infamous drug lord Pablo Escobar for revolutionary treatment[/caption]
Late NBA basketball great Kobe Bryant was among the world superstars who used the medical technology to recover from injuries[/caption]
But the keeper has suffered no ill effects since and is loving life at Morton[/caption]
By 2022, former Celtic kid keeper Mullen had torn his thigh an incredible ten times in just two years.
He was still just 20, but knew things couldn’t continue and began researching what treatments were available.
No stone was left unturned until the Morton No 1 became convinced by the stem cell treatment the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Tiger Woods and Kobe Bryant had all undergone.
Flying to the BioXcellerator clinic in Medellin, Colombia — which is infamous for Pablo Escobar’s drugs cartel — set him back £15,000.
But Mullen looks back on it as money well spent after suffering no issues since.
Now 23, he said: “When I was at Celtic we played Rangers in the Glasgow Cup and I tore my thigh, but I blagged my way through it so I could go away with Scotland’s Under-19s.
“I went with them, kicked the ball and my thigh was black and blue. I ended up with a grade 4C, which means my thigh was hanging on by the tendon. It was a 21cm tear which is massive. It was a mess. When I came back to Celtic they weren’t happy. It was my own fault.
“They said they weren’t going to operate and to let it heal naturally.
“I was put back down with the B team, then maybe two months later Covid hit.
“I’d got a wee shed in the back garden, so I kitted it out with equipment to try to get myself fit.
“I probably rushed it, went to Cove on loan and did my thigh again. It was a small tear, but it was another couple of weeks out and you had to take your time again.
“But me being me I forced it again, went to Queen’s Park and in the first training session I felt it. Celtic wanted boys out training full-time, so it was best to stay there and train and get treatment.
“They had won the league and I was then supposed to play the last few games of the season. I played 45 minutes and tore the thigh again and from there it was recurrence after recurrence. I did it ten times in two years.
“Every scan I got back said the tendon hadn’t fully healed. The research showed apart from going in there and being evasive and manipulating the thigh, which isn’t natural, the best treatment was to get a stem cell injection.
“It wasn’t illegal or anything like that. When I left Celtic I had a number of trials and again picked up wee niggly injuries. I signed for Clyde, played games then got injured again.
“It made me think, ‘I’m either going to invest in myself or I’m just going to keep having it’. It was a breaking point.
“My girlfriend Miraid backed me fully to go and get it done. So did my mum Margaret and dad Anthony, as well as my brothers Sean and Anthony.
“By that stage I had heard through podcasts and stuff that a lot of MMA fighters and footballers who have ACL injuries or tendon issues have mesenchymal stem cell treatment.
“The stem cells are from an umbilical cord and it’s regenerative tissue, so it’s natural healing.
Mullen was a teenage team-mate of Billy Gilmour and Marc Leonard[/caption]
His trip to Medellin in Colombia saved his career[/caption]
He’ll be in between the sticks for the visit of Ayr United[/caption]
“I’d been in touch with BioXcellerator for a while.
“My injury was the August and I was able to get out to Medellin for the treatment in the December. It was once the kidnap capital of the world, but it’s very civilised now and really nice.
“As part of the treatment they showed you Medellin and what it had to offer. I’d got all my scan reports from before and the treatment itself was via an ultrasound guided injection. The facilities were magnificent.
“It cost me my life savings, probably about £15,000. That was for the flights and everything else and I took my brother with me.
“They put you up in a hotel and the injection itself was the pricey part. But three or four months later I was back playing at Clyde.
“I played throughout the play-offs, did really well and we just came up short. Touch wood my thigh has been brilliant since. I’ve had one tweak, but it was up my hip.
“It’s something I’m so grateful I did. I feel it’s really changed my career, not just physically but mentally too.
“Going in and backing yourself, investing all your savings, trusting the process, taking a wee step back and going, ‘This is everything for me’. If you’ve got a dream, go and chase it, and that’s still what I’m doing now.”
Mullen’s form landed him a switch to Morton in 2023, and he has now established himself as first pick under gaffer Dougie Imrie. They sit seventh ahead of this weekend’s visit from title-chasing Ayr United.
Mullen added: “Coming to Morton has been a really positive move for me.
“I’ve been able to play games and I feel as though I’ve played well. I’ve impacted the team in a positive way.
“I feel as though we’ve changed the style of play a lot this year and it suits me playing out from the back.
“I’ve made crucial saves at important points and as a team we’re starting to gel a lot more now.”
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