"Crystal Cathedral" ? "Hour of Power" ? - and people still take him seriously ? Quoting rayilynlee <[log in to unmask]>: > Famed pastor says there's a cure for Parkinson's > Robert Schuller is under scrutiny from medical experts and those suffering > from the disease. > By JENNIFER MUIR > The Orange County Register > October 17, 2008 > GARDEN GROVE - Robert H. Schuller announced Sunday during an internationally > > televised sermon at the Crystal Cathedral that his friend has discovered a > cure for Parkinson's disease, sparking a backlash among those who suffer > from the neurological disease and bewilderment among medical professionals. > > Schuller was introducing a different guest for his "Hour of Power" sermon > when he made the announcement, promising his congregation that the medical > researcher would soon fly in from Pittsburgh "to share with us how God > helped him to discover a cure - that's the word they use - for Parkinson's > disease." > But no one else in the medical community has heard about it. > > "This is giving people false hope," said Bob Kendall, 48, who was diagnosed > seven years ago. "To me this is really sad. If there was a breakthrough and > a cure, it wouldn't be a televangelist announcing it, believe me. There are > a lot of people up in arms." > > Neurological experts say they're not aware of any breakthrough. Dr. Neal > Hermanowicz, director of the movement disorder program in UCI's Department > of Neurology, said it would be unusual for such a discovery to remain a > secret, as promising work in progress is routinely presented and discussed > at medical conferences. > > "I don't know of anybody anywhere in the world who is close to a cure for > Parkinson's disease," said Hermanowicz, who was first asked about Schuller's > > sermon by a patient on Thursday. > > "Usually if something big is about to occur, there's evidence presented at > our meetings," he said. "So if somebody has something really big it would be > > unusual to have no inkling of it in advance." > > Schuller told congregants that he learned about the breakthrough while at a > recent conference in Toronto for members of Horatio Alger, a nonprofit group > > that honors community leaders who have achieved success "through honesty, > hard work, self-reliance and perseverance over adversity," the group's Web > site says. > > "One of my friends there is a famed researcher and he whispered to me, 'I've > > done it,'" Schuller said during the sermon. "I said, 'You have?' I've known > him 20 years. He has discovered a cure to Parkinson's disease and he will be > > with me here in person in a few weeks." > > He did not disclose the researcher's name during his sermon, but a spokesman > > confirmed Friday that the pastor was referring to Dr. Peter J. Jannetta, a > professor of neurosurgery and namesake of the Jannetta Center for Cranial > Nerve Disorders at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh, Penn. > > The spokesman, Michael Nason, referred questions about the research to > Jannetta. > A secretary for Jannetta said he was not available for comment. > > "We want to be very cautious at this point on what we say further," Nason > said. "We think that this has tremendous, very positive ramifications, and > we want to take care that we help the doctor make sure that this is > responsibly reported." > > In his sermon, Schuller said the research has been "triple-checked" and will > > appear in the London-based medical journal Lancet. A representative for > Lancet declined to comment, saying that the journal's "peer-review process > and all correspondence with authors are confidential." > > Parkinson's disease is caused by the degeneration of dopamine cells in the > brain. Symptoms include tremors, slow speech and a shuffling walk. More than > > 1.5 million people across the U.S. suffer from the disease, according to the > > American Parkinson's Disease Association. > > There is no known cure, and recent research has primarily focused on finding > > ways to slow its development, determine its cause and better treat the > symptoms, Hermanowicz said. > > While he's not aware of Jannetta's expertise in Parkinson's research, > Hermanowicz said Jannetta is a known expert for surgeries that stop facial > twitching, and that the University of Pittsburgh is home to many > well-respected neurologists. > > Kendall, who lives in Ashland, Ohio and is on disability because of the > disease, first heard about Schuller's announcement Monday, when he was > emailed a link to the "Hour of Power" webcast. Ever since, he's been calling > > the Crystal Cathedral and Allegheny General Hospital for answers. > > "Why would someone in his position stand up and say something like that?" > Kendall said. "It makes you angry." > > Nason acknowledged the Crystal Cathedral has received phone calls about the > sermon from viewers suffering from Parkinson's, and cautioned people not "to > > put a total answer on it without first finding out what the significance of > the paper is." > > The church is hopeful Jannetta has found a cure, and they're looking forward > > to him appearing as a guest on the show, Nason said. > > Dixie Bullington, a 75-year-old paralegal who has Parkinson's, says she's > waiting to see proof. > > "I'm not one to jump on something quickly just because somebody says it," > said Bullington of La Mirada. "I would want to see the research and talk to > the neurologist about it and see where the research came from..You would > think there would be some headlines in the paper about it if that were > true." > > Hermanowicz learned about Schuller's announcement from a patient, and > offered some hopeful advice. > > "I tell my patients that there is reason for optimism," he said. "It's of > intense interest and effort by a lot of very bright people. > > "I don't know of a fix for Parkinson's disease that's foreseeable in the > immediate future, but there's a lot of effort going on around the world." > Watch the video of Schuller's announcement here: > > Click on the second segment, titled "Interview with Miroslav Volf." > Register contributor Jane Glenn Haas contributed to this story. > Contact the writer: (714) 796-7813 or [log in to unmask] > > Rayilyn Brown > Director AZNPF > Arizona Chapter National Parkinson Foundation > [log in to unmask] > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] > In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn > ---------------------------------------------- This mail sent through http://www.ukonline.net ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn