April 2nd is World Autism Day

Three documentaries have been produced that offer insight into Autism - "Autism Every Day," "Autism: The Musical" and "Her Name Is Sabine." Each attempts to broaden the public's understanding of the condition.

HBO Premiered Autism: The Musical on Tuesday March 25th at 8PM
If you wish to obtain a greater understanding of complex and difficult affliction.

A Clip from The Film:


About the Documentary

AUTISM: THE MUSICAL follows the extraordinary acting coach Elaine Hall, five children with autism, and their parents as they heroically mount a full-length original stage production. Through trial and error, tears and laughter, these incredible families learn to communicate their feelings in song and performance, finding solace and joy in the act of creating.

A veritable feast of astounding breakthroughs, this spellbinding film offers a full-throated celebration of kids living with an increasingly prevalent disorder. Director Tricia Regan vividly captures the individual personalities and problems of each child, from precocious Henry who talks a mile-a-minute about dinosaurs, to Neal, a sensitive and articulate boy who nonetheless struggles to speak at all. The parents, too, are fascinating studies in unconditional love, especially Elaine, the mastermind behind the musical and mother of Neal.

A consciousness-raising and empathetic portrait of children and their families living with autism, AUTISM: THE MUSICAL celebrates the spark of humanity in each of us. "Moving, dramatic, therapeutic and unburdened by reliance on talking heads" (Variety), this film will change the way you look at autism.

If you don't have HBO or would prefer to watch AUTISM: The Musical online in its entirety, please visit HBO Documentaries. It is offer it free of charge.

About Autism Everyday

Autism Everyday

A raw, sometimes harrowing look at 24 hours in the lives of eight families with autistic children, "Autism Every Day" was initially produced to be shown at a benefit for Autism Speaks, the charity founded by Wright and his wife, Suzanne, after their grandson was diagnosed. But after the film "went viral" on YouTube, Thierry expanded it from seven minutes to 44 and submitted it to the Sundance Film Festival, where it was shown last year. It will air on Sundance Channel on April 2, which the United Nations has designated World Autism Awareness Day.

Crosscutting among its unnamed subjects (including the Wrights' daughter Katie), "Autism Every Day" creates a composite picture of the pressures of raising an autistic child. Parents describe children for whom the most basic of bodily functions are arduous tasks, who lash out violently and bite their own limbs. Alison Singer, Autism Speaks' vice president of communications, describes being so distraught at the prospect of placing her daughter in an overcrowded special-needs school that she contemplated driving them both off a bridge.

"Autism Every Day" has drawn criticism for presenting an overly negative view. But Thierry says that diluting the financial and emotional strain that raising a child with autism can place on a family would have contradicted her own experience. "I had a mandate," she says. "Tell it like it is."

A clip of Autism Every Day can be found on Youtube.

For more information about Autism Every Day and AutismSpeaks Channel on Youtube.

About: Her name is Sabine

Synopsis:

An intelligent, moving and beautiful portrait of Sabine, a 38-year-old autistic woman, filmed by her sister, the famous French actress Sandrine Bonnaire. Through personal footage filmed over a period of 25 years, it is revealed that Sabine's growth and many talents were crushed by improper diagnosis and an inadequate care structure. After a tragic five-year stay in a psychiatric hospital, Sabine finally finds a new lease on life in a home together with other young people living with similar mental and emotional illnesses. This very intimate film also sends an urgent message to a society that still does not know how to properly take care of its citizens with physical and psychological disabilities.

Her name is Sabine is available at Amazon.

Get Your Daughters Vaccinated for HPV

The first national study of four common sexually transmitted diseases, human papillomavirus (HPV), chlamydia, genital herpes and trichomoniasis, among girls and young women (ages 14 to 19) has found that one in four are infected with at least one of the diseases, federal health officials reported Tuesday. 18% had HPV and 15% had multiple diseases. The most common forms HPV can be vaccinated against and should be done so on mandatory basis.

The $1.5B abstinence program should be declared a failure. The behavior of subsets of teens subscribing to abstinence programs outlined in studies conducted by Mailmen School of Public Health at Columbia University made me blush. It followed the Clinton line of reasoning that certain acts are not sex (this has nothing to do with the medical definition). Teens have sex; parents wake up and smell the coffee. Talk to your children and encourage them to be responsibly. On the other hand, get your young ladies vaccinated offer access to condoms and have them screened and treatment.

A Few Notes about HPV from a Post I made to Another Blog


What is HPV?


HPV (human papillomavirus) is a virus that is common in the United States and around the world and can cause cancer and genital warts. HPV is spread through sexual contact. There are about 100 types of HPV. HPV is the major cause cervical cancer in women and is also associated with several other types of cancer in both men and women.

Some Fast Facts about Cervical Cancer:

Number of people affected by HPV: About 20 million in the United States. 80% of women by age 50 will test positive for HPV.

New cases each year: 6.2 million

Health effects: Usually causes no symptoms, but certain strains can lead to cervical cancer and/or genital warts.

Cervical cancer data in the United States: 9,700 new U.S. cases a year. 3,700 deaths.

Can HPV be treated?

There is no treatment for HPV. But there are treatments for the health problems that HPV can cause, such as genital warts, cervical cell changes, and cancers caused by HPV.

What can you do?

A vaccine, Gardasil (Approved by the FDA on June 8, 2006), which is effective against four HPV strains is available. Two of the HPV types, Type 16 and 18 cause about 70 percent of cervical cancers. Combined, all four types of HPV in the Merck Gardasil product account for about 90% of Genital warts. It is delivered in a course of the three shots.

Recommended recipients: Girls 11 and 12 years old, or before onset of sexual activity. The vaccine can be given to girls as young as 9. The vaccine is also advised for 13-to-26-year-olds.

Cost: $360 for a set of three shots over a six month period. Now being covered by vast majority of insurers.

Side effects: No serious ones reported; some pain at injection site.

How can I get the vaccine if I don’t have insurance?
The Vaccines for Children (VFC) program helps families of children who may not otherwise have access to vaccines by providing free vaccines to doctors who serve them. The VFC program provides free vaccines to children and adolescents younger than 19 years of age, who are either Medicaid-eligible, American Indian, or Alaska Native or uninsured. There are over 45,000 sites that provide VFC vaccines, including hospital, private, and public clinics. The VFC Program also allows children and adolescents to get VFC vaccines through Federally Qualified Health Centers or Rural Health Centers, if their private health insurance does not cover vaccinations. For more information about the VFC, visit the VFC web site. Some states also provide free or low-cost vaccines at public health department clinics to people without health insurance coverage for vaccines.

Source: National Cervical Cancer Coalition and the CDC.

For More Information:National Cervical Cancer Coalition (NCCC)
6520 Platt Avenue, #693

West Hills, CA 91307
(818) 909-3849
(818) 780-8199 Fax

mailto:rbiety@nccc-online.org
http://www.nccc-online.org/awareness.html
Materials available
Contact: Rachel Biety

Matched Cloned Embryonic Stem Cells Effective in treating Parkinson’s In Mouse Models

The researchers reported in the Journal Nature that they had success in treating Parkinson's mice models with matched cloned embryonic stem cells. The researchers were trying to prove that it is possible to make cloned embryonic stem cells to provide a tailor-made treatment.

The experiment demonstrated that a mouse's own cloned stem cells were far less disruptive to its body than cloned cells taken from other mice. Cells extracted and cloned from other mice caused inflammation.

Cloning researchers hope one day to be able to extract and grow embryonic stem cells from a patient’s own skin and use it for personal, tailor-made medical treatments.
The next step is to clone the cells without the use of a embryo that would remove ethical objections to the process.

The procedure is incredibly difficult and will require years to refine. Nonetheless, it demonstrates a path to personal therapeutic medicine.

For more information, click here.

All Children Should Be Vaccinated Against Childhood Diseases

All children should be vaccinated against childhood diseases. If you are unable or someone you know is unable to afford vaccinations, free and reduced cost vaccinations are available throughout the United States. Well Path acknowledges that many people are concerned about the possible adverse-effects of immunization, particularly in children. While ingesting any substance has its risks, the benefits of vaccinations greatly out way the risks. Finally, we are also aware that members of the community are concerned that vaccinations may result in Autism. Careful scientific studies not only in the United States but also throughout the world have not demonstrated any causal relationship between vaccination and Autism. Please see a qualified health provider and see your children are vaccinated before they return to school.

For more information:

National Immunization Program
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Road NE, MS E-05
Atlanta, GA 30333
(800) 232-2522
(800) CDC-INFO (232-4636) English/Spanish
(888) 232-6348 TTY
(888) CDC-FAXX (232-3299) Free fax-back

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/
npiinfo@hmhb.gov

Time to End Exemptions from Vaccinations

An outbreak of measles struck San Diego last month. 12 children fell ill; nine of them had not been inoculated against the virus because their parents objected, and the other three were too young to receive vaccines. Apparently a group of parents elected not to have their children vaccinated out of personal conviction.

To say the least, the behavior of these luddites deserves immediate action. These people are terribly misinformed not only about the risks of vaccination but also about the dangers of such stupid behavior.

Measles vaccines are only 95% effective. People have the right to jeopardize their own children’s lives they do not have the right to jeopardize other peoples lives.

As more and more simpletons elect to exercise their right to avoid vaccination, we risk approaching a tipping point that could jeopardize the nation's herd immunity to highly infectious communicable diseases. With open borders and a lack of quarantine program, it is almost a certainty we will be visited by a massive outbreak of a communicable disease. Unless your local medical community has practiced extensively on the edges of the third world, it will not be prepared to deal with the task.

The objection that a vaccine preservative Thimerisal (contains mercury) induces autism and various other conditions is unfounded. Note: Thimerisal is no longer utilized in the United States as vaccine perservative. Even if you don’t trust the FDA, real scientists in other countries such as Denmark (not noted for being unduly influenced by Big Pharma) has shown no causal link between vaccination and the incidence of autism.

People who have never studied anything more than high school biology read faulty medical studies or simple opinions (usually on the Internet) unpublished in reputable peer-reviewed journals and then elect to jeopardize the community. Many of the so-called studies are published by either charlatans or well-intentioned but scientifically challenged practitioners.

I realize our political system is filled with people guided more by nonsense than science, but this is simple to understand. No medcial procedure in history has been more effective clinically or economically than mass vaccination. The success of vaccine programs for the last three generations has allowed politicians to behave irresponsibly. It allows elected officials to cowtow to extraordinary strange bedfellows: religous zealots and back to nature conspiracy theory hippies. Once we have a major outbreak all the hand wringing will begin. A call to action will come.

Before an vaccination exemption should be granted, parents should have to be educated regarding the risks they are taking, prove mental competency and sign an obligation. The obligation, one, Gary Becker, Nobel Laureate Economist at University of Chicago would approve of, would charge those parents who are exempters for costs of an outbreak enhanced by treble damages. I would be curious how many parents would opt-out if their McMansions and Mercedes were at risk and not the community health.

Much of this nonsense has been precipitated by parents groping for explanations for illnesses presented in their children such as neurological disorders, asthma and autism. While I feel for these parents, children are not all born perfect. It is a toss of the dice. What truly concerns me, it that precious medical and research resources are diverted from curing autism and instead to testing hypotheses put forward but such notable authorities as actress Jenny McCarthy. Pasteur, Salk, Sabin are rolling in their respective graves.

For more information, see this article published in the New York Times of March 21, 2008.

I will publish follow-on posts about obtain free childhood vaccinations and HPV vaccinations.

HBO Premiere's Autism: The Muscial on Tuesday March 25th at 8PM.

HBO Premiere's Autism: The Musical on Tuesday March 25th at 8PM

If you wish to obtain a greater understanding of complex and difficult affliction HBO is premiering

A Clip from The Film:



About the Documentary

AUTISM: THE MUSICAL follows the extraordinary acting coach Elaine Hall, five children with autism, and their parents as they heroically mount a full-length original stage production. Through trial and error, tears and laughter, these incredible families learn to communicate their feelings in song and performance, finding solace and joy in the act of creating.A veritable feast of astounding breakthroughs, this spellbinding film offers a full-throated celebration of kids living with an increasingly prevalent disorder.

Director Tricia Regan vividly captures the individual personalities and problems of each child, from precocious Henry who talks a mile-a-minute about dinosaurs, to Neal, a sensitive and articulate boy who nonetheless struggles to speak at all. The parents, too, are fascinating studies in unconditional love, especially Elaine, the mastermind behind the musical and mother of Neal.

A consciousness-raising and empathetic portrait of children and their families living with autism, AUTISM: THE MUSICAL celebrates the spark of humanity in each of us. "Moving, dramatic, therapeutic and unburdened by reliance on talking heads" (Variety), this film will change the way you look at autism.

The Healing Project Releases Two New Free Publications

The Healing Projectis pleased to release two new free publications available for downloading. The first publication, Breast Cancer: What Every Woman Should Know, is authored by Stephanie F. Bernik, MD, FACS, and the second, A Look to the Future of Alcoholism Treatment, is authored by Ron L. Alterman, MD. These publications join our initial free offering, Lung Cancer: What the Patient and Family Need to Know, written by Reed Phillips, M.D.These free guides and publications represent an ongoing effort to better educate our community about treatment options, working with the medical system and the latest advances in medicine.

Stephanie F. Bernik, MD, FACS

Stephanie F. Bernik, MD, FACS, is Chief of Breast Surgery for the comprehensive breast program at St. Vincent's Comprehensive Cancer Center in New York City. A board certified surgeon specializing in breast diseases, Dr. Bernik has developed a specialty in treating women under 40 diagnosed with the disease.

A 1993 graduate of Yale University School of Medicine, she completed her internship and residency at St. Vincent's Hospital and Medical Center in New York City. She was awarded fellowships at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in breast surgery and St. Vincent's Hospital and Medical Center in surgical oncology. Dr. Bernik also received two research fellowships from Yale University School of Medicine in 1990 and 1992. She received her undergraduate degree magna cum laude from Columbia University in 1989.In 2005 she was honored with the 2005 Top Doctor Award by the research firm Castle Connelly. In 2004, she received Columbia University's John Jay Award for Professional Achievement and in 2001, Columbia University's Alumna Achievement Award.

Dr. Bernik is the author of numerous medical journal articles published in, among others, The Breast Journal, Journal of Nuclear Medicine, Annals of Surgical Oncology and The American Surgeon. She is a principal investigator for breast disease research at St. Vincent's Hospital and has presented her research at symposia across the country, most recently at the American Society of Breast Surgeons 2006 annual meeting and the American Society of Breast Disease 2006 annual symposium.

Dr. Ron L. Alterman

Dr. Ron L. Alterman is the Director of Functional and Restorative Neurosurgery at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. He has held academic positions at New York University School of Medicine (1995-1997), University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine (1997-1998), and Albert Einstein College of Medicine (1998-2004) where he was Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery and a director of stereotactic and functional neurosurgery at Beth Israel Medical Center. Board certified in neurological surgery, Dr. Alterman is well known for his work on deep brain stimulation for Parkinson’s disease, torsion dystonia, and tremor. His clinical interests include image-guided surgery for brain tumors and benign spine disease.

Dr. Reed Phillips

Dr. Reed Phillips is board certified in internal medicine, oncology and hospice and palliative care medicine. He is affiliated with the North Shore University Hospital in New York and he is an instructor in pain management and hospice and palliative care at Winthrop University Hospital and the State University of New York School of Medicine at Stony Brook, New York.

Gulf War Syndrome is Real and in Many Cases Explained by Chemical Exposure

The ArmyTimes reported in a story entitled, Review says chemicals caused Gulf War illness, today that a scientist’s review of the symptoms presented by many returning veterans can be explained by chemical families related to those found in pesticides, nerve agents and anti-nerve agents. Tens of thousands of troops were denied treatment, denied disabilities and identified as slackers after suffering a chemical insult.

The travesty is that as early as 1992 scientists and medical officers from within and without the US military strongly suspected that chemical insult was the cause of these reported maladies. The DoD and the VA should be held accountable for the mistreatment of our service members following the first Gulf War. There is no register of those who suffered chemical insult from that war and many more veterans will suffer unexplained debilitating neurological illnesses or explicable neurological illness early in life. It is unlikely that they will either find care or compensation if they were not identified in the early 90’s.

This issue is relevant because the DoD and VA are at it again. During OIF and OEF, tens of thousands troops were and are being exposed to blastwave concussion resulting from IED’s (roadside bombs) used to attack our troops. These injuries were dismissed for years as nothing more than concussion resulting from playing contact sports. The DoD elected to ignore its own experts who identified these wounds as serious in nature and as the signature injury of these conflicts. To great fanfare, $600MM was set aside to research and treat these injuries six years after the problem was identified. Regrettably the DoD and VA have used these funds for ill-considered research, outmoded instruments and pet projects of senior officials of Medcom. The result is that rather than using systems and technologies that were requested by field medical officers as early as December 2002 to screen and track neurological traumas in real-time, the nation lacks even a basic system to validity screen and analyze these injuries. While the DoD and VA deserve the bulk of the blame, Congress, the Senate, and Veterans Organizations all deserve a share of the blame because their lack of action has led to gross mistreatment of those that have served us.

Fifteen years from now we will suddenly awake to thousands of veterans suffering from debilitating neurological illness that could have been avoided or compensated for if someone had bothered to consult and support efforts by experts in the military and not the people who brought us the mistreatment of troops at Walter Reed.

March 9th through 16th is National Problem Gambling Awareness Week

Gambling is an addiction.

The goal of this campaign is to educate the general public and health care professionals about the warning signs of problem gambling and raise awareness about the help that is available both locally and nationally.

The NCPG is the national advocate for programs and services to assist problem gamblers and their families.Our research finds that 2%-3% of the US population will have a gambling problem in any given year.

That’s 6 million to 9 million Americans yet only a small fraction seek out services, such as treatment and self-help recovery programs.

We hope that you will use these free materials to promote awareness of problem gambling, and more importantly, that there is hope and help for those who suffer from gambling problems.

For More Information:

National Problem Gambling Awareness Week

National Council on Problem Gambling

216 G Street NE, Suite

200Washington, DC 20002

(202) 547-9204

(202) 547-9206 Fax

ncpg@ncpgambling.org

http://www.npgaw.org/

Materials available

Contact: Keith Whyte

March 10th through the 16th is Brain Awareness Week

Brain Awareness Week is an international effort organized by the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives to advance public awareness about the progress and benefits of brain research. The Dana Alliance is joined in the campaign by partners in the United States and around the world, including medical and research organizations; patient advocacy groups; the National Institutes of Health, and other government agencies; service groups; hospitals and universities; K-12 schools; and professional organizations.

For More Information:

Brain Awareness Week

Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives

745 Fifth Avenue, Suite 900

New York, NY 10151

(212) 223-4040

(212) 593-7623 Fax

bawinfo@dana.org

www.dana.org/brainweek

Materials available

Contact: Kathleen Roina