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Today Dr. Fink replied to my letter as follows: I still urge caution. Has Dr. Garg published any of his work in peer-reviewed journals? Do you have any references for those publications? Is Dr. Garg licensed in any state in the USA? Is he a trained and Board-certified specialist? There is no jurisdiction in the United States that is going to allow a physician to perform procedures on humans using a method that has not gone through the various phases of a medical research project. The FDA and the NIH control these studies very carefully, this to protect the American public. The "rules" in other countries are much less stringent. Best, Bob To which I replied: Dr. Fink: I appreciate your concerns and cautions about the idea Dr. Garg presents. I do not know the answers about how such a procedure as he has developed may come about to save lives in this country - all I do know is that I am going to see this project through to a conclusion - which may take years...but it needs doing. Some things I have to take in faith right now, trusting that someone in the medical community in this country for 32 years knows more about what can be accomplished in the regulatory areas than I. I'm sure it is not going to be easy, but being about the closest a person can be to the Parkinson pain, without actually having the condition, I know I must help however I can. It amazes me that noone seems interested in talking about solving the problems - just that it can't be done - my experiences during 53 years of living tell me it has more to do with money and self interest than "protection of the public". The movies in this country continuously tell "true stories" about everything that can be done if there is a will - even elephants being parachuted out of planes - well this is a job that needs doing -where is the will? for the sake of suffering and dying people (needlessly - we are sacrificing years of people's lives, and losing an invaluable and underappreciated resource in our older citizens- part of the destruction of the American Family). I am not familiar with all of your program - but it seemed you address the emotional concerns of people - well people are being "conditioned" to die - to let go - to accept the inevitable - that is not the American way that made this country great - every life was valuable and worth keeping and many pioneers worked and suffered to make advances,to their last breath - Orville and Wilbur Wright didn't have the FAA to rely on for safety...and why should citizens of other countries have to be willing to "break the new ground", just so Americans can reap the benefits (usually based on financial guarantees) - it happened with Debakey in South Africa and many pioneering medical advancements and right now the DBS that goes on everyday - does so because of France's willingness to venture into it and it is certainly not guaranteed to give good results-patients are just being led into it (learning as they go), many being hurt and even dying as a result, but you don't hear those stories in the news...and as far as "peer review" - when it comes to my husband looking at his survival waning away, inch by inch, (and medications had him "on the way out" earlier this year) - he really couldn't give a damn about peer review - it's the reality of what he has presented before him to add time to his life that he makes his decisions about....there is much to be discussed about the whole process involved in this - which I hope to write about - my husband and I have decided to go for something that may help advance a real remedy (not worried about that word "cure" either), whether he can survive it or not (knowing we have to rely on meds in the interim) - John Ritter's little girl stood up with arms stretched upwards and asked God to "drop him, drop him!" and when told "it doesn't work that way" she replied "but what if it did, and we never tried"....the wisdom of a child...we have gone 18+ years - there is a distance to go...all we ask is for the help to get ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn there...Marie and Judd