WHAT WE ARE ABOUT
Simply put, we support Dr. Harry Whelan's research for victims of NeuroFibromatosis (NF). The ONLY current treatment available for NF tumors is surgery, often very risky. In addition we support Dr. Whelan's other Near InfraRed (NIR) light research, more below.
Dr. Whelan has successfully treated children with terminal brain cancer. He has shown that the brain cancer protocol is directly transferable to NF. LINK brain paper...............
Having discovered research that we believe will revolutionize the treatment of NF, our immediate objective is to connect with serious philanthropists who will also want to invest in Dr. Whelan's research given the exciting possibilities of NIR Light Therapy for NF and numerous other medical problems. Finding the right philanthropist should be readily achievable given enough exposure.
Please FEEL obligated to pass our information on to 5 people (or more). who could or know people who could become passionate philanthropic supporters of the research. Our goal is an endless ongoing chain that will connect at the right time and the right place with the right philanthropist.
Neurofibromatosis (NF)
Large plexiform tumors can cause serious problems by impacting critical organs. Surgery is currently the only option for removal. Often the tumors are inoperable or at best highly risky because of the nerve involvement.
Children's Tumor Foundation is the national organization that supports NeuroFibromatosis. See http://www.ctf.org/
Dr. Whelan's brain tumor protocol can selectively kill NF tumor cells while sparing adjacent healthy cells. An intravenous photosensitive chemical is preferentially uptaken by the tumor cells. When illuminated by a special Near InfraRed (NIR) light, free radicals are produced that oxidize and kill the tumor cells. Mouse studies have shown the brain protocol to be very effective on NF tumor cells.
The Miracle of Light
Near InfraRed (NIR) Light
Around 2000, he used NIR light in combination with a photosensitve chemical to kill malignant braim tumors. This procedure is called PhotoDynamic Therapy (PDT). 20 children with profoundly terminal brain cancer were treated, and in 2009 20% were still surviving. LINK brain study.............
In addition to PDT, Dr. Whelan has used the NIR light to repair sick cells. He found that the NIR light interacts with the mitochondria of sick or injured cells causing them to become healthier. LINK cytochrome paper ..........
ENDOWMENT - Benjamin's Research Fund: Neurofibromatosis & Near InfraRed Light
Children's Hospital prepared a White Paper summarizing Dr. Whelan's research and accomplishments. Dr. Whelan has many intriguing facets, you will be impressed! See http://www.mediafire.com/?3jzqtl2ntuq
Our Story Serendipity Chain
Our medical world journey led us to the Medical College of Wisconsin and Dr. Harry T. Whelan, a pediatric neurologist. A series of unbelievably serendipitous events exposed us to Dr. Whelan’s research on killing malignant brain tumors using LED light and light sensitive chemicals, a procedure called PhotoDynamic Therapy (PDT).
With this PDT information we started an exciting adventure. We began this adventure with a VISION and a QUESTION. Because of what we understood of PDT, we visualized the possibility of NF tumors being destroyed by shining LED light on that tumor that had previously been infused with a light sensitive chemical. We further visualized that this procedure in most cases would be noninvasive or minimally invasive, and would selectively destroy tumor cells and not normal cells. From the report we knew that Dr. Whelan had done clinical research eliminating malignant brain tumors using PDT with LED light. Our question was, is the PDT procedure applicable to NF tumors?
We met with Dr. Whelan and his fellow researchers, two other MDs and two PhDs. We found not only an answer to our question, but immeasurable hope. PDT had already been considered for application for NF tumors, and in fact Dr. Meic Schmidt of the University of Utah had been contemplating this question for a couple of years. Dr. Schmidt gave several reasons why PDT is promising for NF. What is most notable for us is that Dr. Schmidt spent 10 years under Dr. Whelan researching PDT, and he is presently the “go to” MD at the University of Utah when NF patients need treatment for their tumors. As such he has expert knowledge on both PhotoDynamic Therapy and Neurofibromatosis. Dr. Schmidt is a neurosurgeon, spinal surgeon, and neuro-oncologist. We are thrilled that our small effort has moved the NF research from contemplation to the laboratory.
We were blown away at this meeting because we learned that our vision is only a fraction of pertinent research ongoing at MCW. Dr. Whelan and his team at MCW are currently researching numerous medical breakthroughs using special LED lights. They use the light in two ways. First in association with a chemical to destroy tumor cells as in our vision above (PhotoDynamic Therapy (PDT)) and second, the LED light is used to directly repair sick cells.
To highlight one study, Dr. Whelan and his team of which Dr. Schmidt is a member, used PDT to treat 20 patients with brain cancer. The patients had no hope and little time to live. The lives of all patients were extended measurably with PDT and 20% were still alive when we met in the fall of 2005. This PDT research and other concrete scientific accomplishments are reported in various medical journals (see attachment photodynamic therapy for brain tumors).
Other successful applications of LED therapy using the direct method are prevention of mucositus (a frequent side effect of strong chemotherapy (see attachment Mucositis); reversing damage to neurons due to toxins (see JBC); reversing eye damage from wood alcohol ingestion (see attachment PNAS); healing of diabetic lesions (see attachment cDNA); and rapid healing of eye injuries from lasers (see attachment NATO-RTO). A genetic eye disease research project is ongoing (see http://www.lhonresearch.com). And a study sponsored by the National Institutes of Health to investigate LED treatment of Parkinsons is also being launched (National Institutes of Health Grant #: 1R21AT003002-01A1, NIR-LED Treatment for Parkinson's Disease).
For the direct application of LED light to contribute to the treatment of so many diseases sounds too good to be true! However, there is a reasonable logic. The common denominator of these diseases is their root cause, mitochondrial dysfunction. Special LED light is believed to stimulate mitochondrial function, attenuate oxidative stress and improve cell survival. Ongoing research is aimed at proving this belief. This LED research and other concrete accomplishments are reported in various medical and scientific journals some of which are attached and referenced above.
Of course, LED technology has special interest to us because of its future potential to help our grandson Ben should he need treatment. Even if we are so blessed that Benjamin ultimately does not need LED treatment, we will nevertheless be committed to do anything in our power to bring this technology to clinical practice. With awareness and support, Dr. Whelan and his team have the power to continue the miracles and hopefully someday treat even the most aggressive cases of NF.
We hope that you will take a moment to review the URL links and attached studies that report research by Dr. Whelan’s team. Our grandson and millions of others who are ill or injured depend on such miracles for their future. We have enclosed a CD with each of the documents in this mailing. “MED617n ” is this letter.
We hope that you find Dr. Whelan and his use of LED light and the discoveries they are making, a worthy cause. Our grandson and millions of other victims of disease need courageous and brilliant medical pioneers like Dr. Harry Whelan and his team.
