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- To whom it may concern:
>>>>
>>>> As I prepare for my college graduation in less than two
>>>> weeks, I
>>>> find it a little hard to focus on my education right now. My dad was
>>>> diagnosed with ALS in January. In the past 4 months I have
>>>> witnessed him go from a perfectly-healthy 54 year old man that
>>>> never missed a 10 hour day at work or a weekend with his friends to a
man that is
>>>> fighting for his life. My dad has lost most movement and use of
>>>> both arms and hands,
>>>> has little leg strength left, talking is getting harder by the
>>>> day, oxygen
>>>> levels are steadily decreasing, and his ability to eat is quickly
>>>> diminishing. Now, I ask you: Have you ever experienced a close
>>>> family member
>>>> die right in front of your eyes? Do you know what
>>>> it is like to have
>>>> to look at your dad and know that he may or not be able to tell
>>>> you he loves
>>>> in another month?
>>>>
>>>> I sat down with my dad this past Sunday night to watch ?60
>>>> Minutes; the same thing we have done every Sunday night for 20
>>>> years.
>>>> Little did I know that the episode I was about to watch would
>>>> change my life
>>>> forever. My dad traveled to Tel-Aviv in Feburary for Stem Cell
>>>> therapy. This
>>>> decision was not easy. We knew that his ALS would not be cured but
>>>> anything
>>>> to slow down the development is worth an attempt. They safely
>>>> removed the
>>>> cells and we got the phone call last week that the cells
>>>> have
>>>> grown and are ready to be injected! My parents will travel to
>>>> Athens, Greece
>>>> in 2 weeks for the final process. Our doctors have NEVER promised
>>>> a cure;
>>>> however, the thought of a slower ALS progression means the world
>>>> to us. My
>>>> dad is still able to walk, not far, but every step counts. The idea of my
dad
>>>> being able to walk myself and two sisters down the aisle one day
>>>> or hold his
>>>> grandchildren is worth every penny spent on the stem cell therapy.
>>>>
>>>> I don't know if you have ever experienced a true heartbreak but
>>>> try to imagine what my dad was feeling while watching his favorite
>>>> TV show
>>>> and learning /hearing that there is *NO* hope for fighting ALS or
>>>> even
>>>> slowing his progression. I have had nightmares the past 3 nights
>>>> about your
>>>> show and the stem cell treatments not working. And honestly, they
>>>> may not.
>>>> But for you to have the heart to tell the thousands of ALS patients
>>>> in the
>>>> world that there is NO hope is absolutely disgusting.
>>>>
>>>> Don't get me wrong: I (and every other person living with
>>>> ALS or
>>>> caring for an ALS patient) appreciate the ALS Awareness you have
>>>> shown your
>>>> viewers. My family has recently raised over $150,000 to help spread
>>>> awareness and support ALS research so I applaud your effort to
>>>> educate the
>>>> world about the horrifying disease. The fact is, stem cells COULD
>>>> be the
>>>> cure for ALS and a lot of other disease but due to negative
>>>> publicity from
>>>> biased shows like yours, there will never be enough funding to
>>>> provide
>>>> adequate research for a cure. There are many positive stem cell
>>>> treatment
>>>> therapies being done all over the world; your program never
>>>> mentioned ANY of
>>>> them. Sunday nights episode more than likely steered thousands
>>>> of patients,
>>>> suffering from terminal diseases, away from seeking emerging
>>>> sciences and
>>>> possible future cures. To find a cure, we must have patients
>>>> willing to seek
>>>> out a cure.
>>>>
>>>> I would hope that your production team will one day find it
>>>> in
>>>> your hearts to produce a non-biased stem cell therapy episode.
>>>> There are
>>>> doctors all over the world absolutely broken inside due to your
>>>> show leaving
>>>> terminal disease patients hopeless. Not all doctors are conmen and
>>>> trying to
>>>> sell ineffective therapies. I understand you may consider my
>>>> family (and
>>>> many others) desperate for attempting to use stem cells as a
>>>> therapy. Put
>>>> yourself in our shoes, would you rather see your family member lay
>>>> in bed
>>>> and die or would you prefer them to seek/fight for a cure? I hope
>>>> one day I
>>>> will be able to turn it on 60 Minutes and watch a story on a successful
>>>> stem cell procedure. I know it may not be today or even 2 years
>>>> from now,
>>>> but we CAN'T give up!
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Sincerely,
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Emily Cohn - Reply to this comment
- I am fine with exposing the scam artists out there, however, please don't stop there - finish the story with some of the success stories about stem cell. My son had an autoglus(using his own stem cells) stem cell transplant for Multiple Sclerosis June 10, 2000 at Scripps Green Hospital in La Jolla, Ca. We are so very thankful the Doctors there were willing to conduct a study on stem cells for MS. We know of several success stories. My son did not regain the abiliity to walk but it did save his life. He has had 10 more years to watch his boys grow up and is doing fine even though he is still in a wheel chair. He has had much relief from many of the symptoms of MS and we thank God everyday that there are brave Doctors out there willing to at least try to help. Please tell the 'rest of the story'. You have my email address - let me help you tell the rest of the story!!
- Reply to this comment
- Exposing the corruption doesn't fix the problem, I think that CBS failed to follow thru and complete the story. Did anybody look at 60 minutes ratings? Don't you all remember the stories of 60 minutes that have shocked the nation multiple times and the benefits for the program? I am not saying that exposing the scams is not legitimate.
I believe the results of the TV production have devastated a lot of suffering people who need hope to stay alive. What if we place hidden cameras in financial institutions, politicians' offices, hotels, police departments, hospitals and many other places. How would it feel to witness a rape, a murder, a financial scam, torture or so many evil things that occur on regular basis? There are evil people who prey on the sick and elderly and take advantage when they can to make a buck. There are however other people who care and want to help or will do what is best. What about the family members of PALS who passed away and spend their lives and everything they have to help others, what about the foundations, the people who pray every day, the philanthropists, the doctors and researchers who are in constant search to treat incurable diseases, many times with minimal or no income?
I believe the result of 60 minutes was a hard blow to every sick person in order to get ratings. The scientists they used in the interviews had no experience with humans, they are very well known authorities who write scientific papers about molecules, chemicals and changes in outcome in rats and mice.
Do you know why many scientists are involved in labs and animal research? Because they have grants, that have to be renewed annually, because the grants assure their positions in the institutions they work for, because they cover the salaries of everyone, the equipment and guaranties, the perpetuation of a scientific position for life. Grants are usually given for preclinical studies, that means lab and animal studies, not for human studies. Keeping the grants once they are obtained requires to show that the money has been spent in research every year, so that the flow never stops. The results don't count. Are there hidden cameras to show how these institutions and scientists work? Yes, maybe it is just a felony, nothing compared to Dr. Stowe and Morales. I completely agree that Stowe and Morales did something very wrong.
Let's look at the experts like Dr Larry Goldstein and Sean Morrison. As far as what I could find, they are very reputable professionals who have made great contributions to basic science from the production of fertilizers to the study of chemicals, and neurons of a fruit fly. Sorry Dr. Morrison but saying that the cure for ALS is decades away based on cultured tissue study in the lab is not only irresponsible, but also disrespectful for the patients who are trying to get a grasp on life and other scientists who have been performing serious research in humans around the world and in this country. Dr. Morrison failed to mention that there are human stem cell protocols approved in this country to treat ALS. Is there any hope?
Many people travel abroad for treatments. CBS should focus in companies abroad or in the US that are performing serious research if the real interest is to help patients with ALS. There are two companies in this country that have FDA approved protocols to treat ALS with stem cells. Why CBS didn't even mention that?
Can 60 minutes broadcast a story with hope with all the positive things about the potential help for PALS that are happening here and around the world? - Reply to this comment
- Very well done on the side of scam issue but you ripped the hearts out of so many ALS patients by not following up with the comprehensive coverage of the positives going on in the research community. The ALS patients and caregivers NEED that info to remain
hopeful and positive something of which most only have left! The reasearch side of this subject should overshadow the greedy vulchers that are involved. Your ratings were good and should be even better with a follow up exposing the true meaning of good research science and the great people behind it. Great strides are being made and you need to get that word out! Your RESONSIBLE. DO IT!! IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO!
You hurt my wife and I had to finish your segment for you to ease the pain inflicted. Because I am the researcher and caregiver for my beautiful wife, I rebuilt that sense of hope needed by all patients and loving caregivers of ALS (Lou Gehrigs Disease). Thank you - Reply to this comment
- The 60 Minutes program pales in comparision to the BBC's expose "The Truth About Medra that can be viewed on Youtube.com.
Medra makes Stowe look like Mother Theresa. Go to Ripoffreport.com and type in Medra in their search engine if you want to read the proof that Dr. William C Rader of Medra is the king of FRAUDS.
I hope that people are aware that the people who are promoting these offshore stem cell clinics are working for these companies and are using this comment board to recruit patients. This is a standard practice among these fraudulent clinics. If you are paying the price of a small Volkswagon to get stem cells, then you are being scammed. GUARANTEED!
I've been involved in researching these companies and they are ALL Scams - Reply to this comment
- http://www.amazon.com/Wont-Do-Stand-Up-Wheelchair-Recovery/dp/1936214105
- Reply to this comment
- I had a stem cell transplant for Multiple Sclerosis at Scripps Green Hospital in San Diego, TEN years ago. With Chemo and full body radiation. It was an experiment to see if we could kill my immune system and build a new one. It worked for me! Then Bush happened, all research stopped. Why don't you do a story about the people that went through the original study.
I no longer walk with a cane, I have my balance, I have not progressed one bit, and I am getting better by the day. In fact I am doing so well that I published my journal from the procedure, hoping now that stem cell research is back on the table, someone would listen to my side, and see another side of the story. - Reply to this comment
- The unconscionable charlatans depicted in this 60 Minutes piece remind me of another unconscionable predator profiled in a recent New York Times article -- a California priest, the Reverend Stephen Kiesle, who was convicted of tying up and abusing two young boys in a California church rectory. (Taken directly from the article):
Rick Simons, an attorney in Hayward, Calif., who represented two of the victims who later sued the Diocese of Oakland, said he met Father Kiesle when he took his deposition in prison.
?Of all the priests who abused children that I have met, and there?s probably a couple dozen, he was by far the most evil, remorseless sociopath of the lot,? he said.
If there's any justice in the world, Kiesle and Lawrence Stowe will be prison-cell mates for the rest of their lives... - Reply to this comment
- I read Todd's reply and read his blog regarding the piece on 60 Minutes and his correspondence to CTCI in Tel Aviv. I hope the 60 Minute staff reads these replies and looks at the links provided. There is a very different side to this story and I hope someone at 60 Minutes gives a balanced look at the real science and research being done with stem cells. Dr. Slavin and his colleagues have amazing credentials and they are highly regarded in the stem cell community. Yes, we need to expose the "bad guys", but we also need to applaud the scientific community that is coming up with promising treatments.
CTCI never claimed to cure MS and other diseases with their stem cell transplant procedure, but on the other hand, there is strong evidence that their procedures have helped their patients. Their research is relatively new and the testimonies and papers they publish are compelling. - Reply to this comment
- by casa8ideaverde2 April 19, 2010 5:11 PM EDT
There are many good good stories resulting from Stem cell therapy through Medra. I am one of them, and I personally have met others.
I am sorry for the loss of your friend. However in my case, Medra was the answer I needed to LIVE.
You are either one of few remaining Medra F-loons or are one of their lying sales reps. William C. Rader is a proven fraud and the proof can be viewed on the Ripoffreport.com by typing Medra in their search engine and the BBC expose, "The Truth About Medra on Youtube. If this doesn't convince people, nothing will. - Reply to this comment
