Laughs from the CNN interview

barbara

Pioneer Founding member
From the CNN site today:

The International Society of Stem Cell Researchers and the FDA discourage Americans from traveling overseas for stem cell therapy. But clinics are operating worldwide -- many in China, and several in Russia, Latin America and Mexico.

"We do not encourage patients to seek therapies overseas that are not FDA-approved in the U.S.," an agency spokesman said in an e-mail to CNN, "as the products or therapies have not undergone the agency's rigorous review."


The agency's rigorous review. I loved that part. Wonder where I can get treatment for COPD where the therapy has undergone the agency's rigorous review? I'll call my pulmonologist in Denver tomorrow morning. He will tell me to come right in for stem cell treatment I'm sure.
 

Jim

New member
Cnn

One statement by the reporter (in his interview with Dr. Feinerman) struck me. He said, "The International Society for Stem Cell Research says that 'these experimental treatments DO NOT WORK.'" [my emphasis] I don't recall any such statement from the ISSCR and I'm certain that statement is not in the "Patient Handbook" issued by them. Those guidelines, quite simply, caution patients to be careful. I can't call the reporter's statement an outright lie without knowing whatever else material he may have had access to, but I really, REALLY doubt that anyone from the ISSCR made such a statement.
 
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barbara

Pioneer Founding member
Good point Jim. It is also contradictory. If stem cell treatments do not work then why would the FDA be suggesting that we need to only seek treatment in the U.S. with FDA approved therapies? Maybe, they are talking about something other than stem cell therapies altogether. Maybe, they mean the same old medicines until you burst routine that we already have. Either that or the carving knife. You have really put a kink in my day. I was all excited to call up my pulmonologist and run in and get stem cell treatment next week from him. Darn it all anyway. Back to square one.
 

Jeannine

Pioneer Founding member
That interview was a joke. When CNN called me I knew they had already made up their minds about stem cell treatments. I'm not sure what the point of the story was. There is no treatment available in the US so people have no choice but to go elsewhere. I also didn't like the way they treated the parents of that young girl seeking treatment in China. Funy how the media had no problem with telling us how Obama gave people hope but cannot understand the hope given to thousands who are terminally ill and their families by having stem cell treatment.

Look at the commercials on TV for the drugs approved by the FDA. They have lists of side effects a mile long but yet they are sold to sick people everyday and that's OK because they are "FDA Approved"
 

Jim

New member
CNN Misrepresenting the Truth about Stem Cell Research

I've never heard of this website so I don't know anything at all about them. I just happened on this article while doing a Google search. The author apparently feels much the same as we do, and isn't too bashful about saying so (making some good points, including the same one that I did). Well worthwhile reading. Comments are allowed.

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CNN Misrepresenting the Truth about Stem Cell Research

For several nights now we have been watching the Lou Dobbs show simply because it coincides with the end of the dinner hour and usually Dobbs doesn?t give us indigestion. Until yesterday.

However on June 2 and 3rd on the Lou Dobbs show, CNN aired an ?in depth interview? from non-other than their gossip hound reporter Drew Griffin. The real stem cell question is why is CNN promoting questions about stem cell therapy especially when it works? Did they not have enough stem cell scientists, doctors and professionals here in the US to interview, then why did they pick this doctor in Peru. It made this doctor sound like he was doing something illegal or against medical advice which is misrepresenting stem cell therapy.

Of course your going to have people leave the United States for medical treatment because alternative medicine for instance is almost outlawed in the US. Any treatment that does not have the corrupt FDA stamp of approval is not allowed and people know better.

The title of the clip was called ?Stem Cell Therapy Questions? simply a rhetorical question indeed. We all have questions but to question the only viable ?cure for diseases? yes that is Cure with a c, is an abominable act of journalistic hearsay and uncontrollable biased against stem cell research. The story is supposed to discourage you from seeking cures or successful treatments found in foreign countries. CNN did not travel to Canada, Japan Russia or Germany to actually do an accurate story but chose lie about just one doctor who is charging people for treatments.

Excuse us but isn?t that what doctors do anyway, Lou?

Lou Dobbs Misrepresents Stem Cell Research on CNN

Lou Dobbs says ?thousands of American families ?desperate? for a cure to their incurable illness is an insult. I am sure if Lou Dobbs or Mr. Griffin were faced with death- they would do the very same thing considering their own wealthy pocketbooks. Not everyone seeking stem cell treatments is desperate -some people are using it for the anti-aging benefits and it works for them so why is that a problem?

Dobbs goes on to say that these ?desperate? people are paying thousands of dollars -we wonder how much Mr. Dobbs would pay for his own life? What is that worth to you Mr. Dobbs?
The reason they are desperate Mr. Dobbs is because medicine is headed in the wrong direction with drugs, chemotherapy, and failed techniques in mainstream medicine that continue in their efforts to boost profits instead of viable cures for a multitude of illnesses. Medicine has become a business only in the United States where drug companies peddle their influence and prescriptions to Congress.

Under the Bush administration and thanks to many republicans except for Nancy Reagan -stem cell therapy was outlawed in the United States. Many doctors for the last 8 whole years have surpassed the US in discovering not only benefits of stem cell transplants through research -they are curing diseases.

And yes Mr. Dobbs these ?poor desperate? people have had to travel to other countries to get treatment and that proves the point -they should not have to go to other countries to seek viable and proven successful treatments to save their own lives.

Drew Griffin sites the FDA as the authority that stem cell research and treatments are unproven. This is of course because the FDA is inhabited by former drug company executives that want to keep selling drugs instead of researching stem cell treatments. After all if your own stem cells can cure your illness you will not have the need for useless drugs ever again.

By CNN perpetuating myths, half truths and blatantly biased reporting to keep the status quo, to keep their advertisers content is in itself how drug companies pay for the favor of the media news broadcasts. Drugs offer no cures Mr. Dobbs and they will eventually kill you. Pharmaceuticals control the field of medicine, research, the networks, and now education as some students found out at Yale. this is the medicine of the past. After all the major revenues of the CNN network are derived from these same drug companies. The interview with Lucie Bruijn of ALS Association only continues the stem cell negative reporting. Dr. Bert Feinerman of stemcellregenmed.com as he says on his website and what is true about stem cell research is that, the findings prove that stem cells regenerate any type of tissue or organ in the body.

It is proven with animals such as Vetstem.com that have cured arthritis and bone degenerative diseases in horses and dogs that race once again after having stem cell transplants using fat tissue. These animals are cured of and repair an injury or disease. It is obvious CNN?s intention was to mislead us into believing stem cell research holds no promise and it is almost likely they are saying its hopeless to believe in the promise of the possibilities of cures.

What would be the problem in regenerating a diseases liver? Or a heart and can CNN?s reporters say that to a person who has these illnesses? Notice they didn?t interview any of the afflicted persons who had successful treatments which is suspiciously biased in reporting half truths.

Where is the ?No Biased - No Bull? that CNN advertises itself as -and the clich?s of ?drilling down? the story?

Not true CNN. The truth is that President Obama sees the promise of this type of research and is putting dollars into it, rather than the policy of the Bush administration to ignore it -allowing millions of people to die from diseases. No drug has ever cured disease because drugs only work on the symptoms and the side effects most often outweigh the benefits. Yet the FDA keeps approving these dangerous drugs that offer no hope to the sick and dying.

Why would CNN take such interest in doing 2 stories in 2 days to disprove the effectiveness of stem cell research?

What would Drew Griffin have to say to Michael J. Fox - would he say too bad Mike -so sorry you have Parkinsons?see you man. Too bad your going to die of it?

International Society of Stem Cell research says these experimental treatments do not work? says Griffin. He doesn?t quote his sources but if you look at the Website there is no finding of the kind Griffin reports about in his story. In fact the Society of stem Cell research applauds President Obama for opening up funding for more stem cell research within the USA. If this type of treatment was not viable then why did President Obama allow funding for it?

Mr. Griffin if you going to report the real story do study the truth before you begin to bash stem cell research and treatments as some sort of phony treatment and a biased story does not go well with the CNN moniker ?No Biased -No Bull?.

If you really want to know the truth CNN pushing drugs on your network makes you part of the problem of perpetuating dangerous drugs which actually makes the network no better than a national drug dealer network.
It has become painfully obvious when we see the erectile dysfunction ads on your evening supper hours -every single night that your not up to the truth.

As Fiona Watt wrote to the Texas legislature on April 14th, 2009 ( sited from the isscr.org website when Texas refused to allow funding for stem cell research quote:

?As the primary international organization of scientists, ethicists, and clinical researchers in the field of stem cell biology, our considered opinion is that research on stem cells of all types should be pursued with the goals of gaining better understanding of human physiology and relieving the burden of disease and disability. Cutting edge research continues to demonstrate the great potential and need for all types of stem cells to lead to improved understanding and treatment of many terrible diseases, injuries and medical conditions.?

Take that CNN.

It will be researchers in other countries that will far surpass the US in curing diseases because they are not corrupted by big pharmaceutical influences which prevent stem cell research. It is misleading and negative reporting such as CNN that will help keep diseases prevalent in the US and keep health care costs into the stratosphere which of course benefits their advertisers who will not allow the cutting of their profit margins. Lou Dobbs gives you not only indigestion but misrepresents the facts, shame on you Lou - Michael J. Fox will remember you forever especially the CNN Biased Bull part.

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http://politicolnews.com/cnn-biased-bull-reporting/
 

Jeannine

Pioneer Founding member
JIm

Thanks for the heads up. I submitted these comments to that website. In case they don't get posted, here is what I wrote:

J Richardson says:
Your comment is awaiting moderation.



June 4, 2009 at 2:13 pm
I was interviewed by David Broderick for this story. I am the co-founder of the stemcellpioneers.com forum which I started with Barbara Hanson in May 2007 after we met in Mexico while we were receiving stem cell treatment for COPD. I can tell you that I received considerable improvement after my treatment and that Dr Feinerman is a very caring, reputable doctor ( I know him and have been treated by him) who was portrayed as doing something wrong.

I told David Broderick that I was able to go without oxygen during the day for about 18 months after my treatment, but he chose to ignore that and simply tried to villify the treatment and the doctor. I have taken FDA approved prescriptions that have given me far worse side effects than stem cell treatment ever could.
 

barbara

Pioneer Founding member
Awesome find Jim and good comments Jeannine. I am sending it off to David Bales head of Texans for Stem Cell Research as well. He has offered to help with ASCTA and he will like this. I will also see that Dr. Centeno gets this. We are not going to take this type of pathetic inaccurate reporting any more. Thumbs up to Dr. Feinerman as well for even trying to take them on.
 

barbara

Pioneer Founding member
We aren't going to take this any more!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here's my post on the site:

I must thank you for posting exactly how I feel and how many members of the Stem Cell Pioneers forum feel. I am the other co-founder of the forum and was called by David Fitzpatrick a few times plus we exchanged e-mails. He honesty would not listen to anything I had to say. I told him about the Pioneer forum and how I am a huge advocate of safe stem cell therapy, considering I have a terminal disease and treatment has stopped the progression of it. I gave him a lead of someone that was not giving safe treatment in my opinion, but evidently he didn't make much effort to follow it. The reporters were instead able to talk Dr. Feinerman into speaking with them as he was getting ready to leave for Peru. He agreed to talk to them he has told me because they said they wanted to interview him about stem cell treatments, not try to entrap him and put words in his mouth. So much of the interview is missing that it is obvious what CNN was up to. Dr. Feinerman and Dr. Paino have offered to treat poor children in Peru who are ill. This story has appeared on CNN more than once. Dr. Feinerman says that CNN has been unresponsive to his offer even though he suggested that their own network doctor come along to observe the treatments the children would get. Dr. Feinerman and Dr. Paino were willing to do this for free. Mr. Fitzpatrick also claimed that I told him that I had been able to get off of supplemental oxygen for 18 months and then had to go back on it. This is absolutely an untruth. At this point, I told him that I wanted no part of the interview whatsoever. He couldn't remember who said what and I could see that it was sloppy, hurry up and get some trash if you can, type of reporting. I also mentioned that the FDA has declared our own stem cells to be drugs and that a grassroots effort is underway to get the FDA to reverse its decision and allow autologous adult stem cell treatments (A-ASC) with some manipulation to become legal in the U.S. immediately. I told him that millions of people are dying while the FDA tries to figure out how Big Pharma can be involved in some way with our own stem cells. That's as near as I can figure out what the hold up is any way. The group advocating this is called American Stem Cell Therapy Association (ASCTA). Guidelines have been formulated for safe treatment and yet the FDA in its wisdom prefers that our own stem cells be regulated as drugs, causing a doctor to have to file for a new drug application in order to perform clinically relevant A-ASC treatment legally in this country. Most doctors cannot afford this, not to mention the years it will set the U.S. behind while clinicals for each and every application of every disease are having to be performed. I invited him to visit www.safestemcells.org and he really had no interest. I pointed out that not all treatments were $25000. Some are as low as $2000 and he wasn't interested. I told him that I would not be talking to him on the phone or e-mailing him if I had not had treatment and he wasn't interested. I told him that a lung transplant can cost $300,000 to $400,000 in the U.S. and there is no guarantee that the surgery will be successful and he wasn't interested. A prime example of lousy reporting if I ever saw it. Lou Dobbs should be embarrassed to call it a news program and the two investigate reporters should get some training in how to be an investigative reporter. Drew was all over Dr. Feinerman for not having an advanced degree in stem cells as I recall. When no FDA approved treatment is available for those of us who have terminal and chronic diseases, putting together a story that only advocates you get approved FDA treatments in the U.S. is like pie in the sky. We all got a good belly laugh on the Stem Cell Pioneer forum about it. Thanks for your superb article.
 

barbara

Pioneer Founding member
Dr. Feinerman checks in

Dr. Feinerman sent me these e-mails and I asked if I could share them with all of you on the forum. CNN's hatchet job was so biased and unfair. This doctor is hard working and thinks of his patients first and foremost. I have to say the same for all the other doctors and professionals that help on this forum. CNN's ratings are tanking and it's no wonder. They don't report, they editorialize and fantasize. These e-mails are between Dr. Feinerman and someone who was involved in treatment with him.




Dear M.

> Dealing with Nabavi has been exhausting and depressing. I've spent a lot of money dealing with a situation that clearly shows what he has done. If you haven't seen it yet please go to www.stemcellbiotherapy.com to read the press release and the 81 page law suit against Nabavi. It will shock you. What keeps me going is the love and support I get from so many patients. That truly is why i keep on working and studying always wishing I could spend all my time in research.
> Summer is coming and I am sure you have lots of plans. My sons have got to set the date but probably we shall celebrate my 80th birthday on July 4 which is a Saturday. No definite site yet but will decide soon.
> You must be fully settled in your new home and enjoying the warmer weather. Your area must be beautiful especially in the summer time.
> I am off to Lima, Peru on Tuesday evening. This time I shall be treating an ALS patient; an autistic child; a 39 year old with sequelae from brain trauma; possible spinal cord injury case.
> My next focus is to combine gene therapy and nanotechnology with stem cell treatments. I shall also focus on the use of stem cells to treat skin problems. We have developed a technique of isolating stem cells from blood or bone marrow and revert them back to embryonic-like function which make them totipotent and capable of forming any tissue or organ in the body.
> Early Tuesday I am going to by interviewed by CNN with questions about how the company treats many serious debilitating diseases. Now that should be interesting.....Dr. Paino and I also plan to treat a number of Peruvian children that were seen on CNN several months ago that suffered brain damage from exposure to industrial toxins in the water, food and air in a special area of Peru. Dr. Sanjay Gupta was the one on CNN that reported this in a one hour segment.
> Thanks for keeping in touch with me. I hope X is still doing well and improving losing the spasticity in her hand and forearm using the constrained induced therapy.
> Regards, Burt Feinerman



Hi Dr. F,

Just checking in to see how your doing after the CNN report ran.... I am sure you are not to pleased. I hope your trip to Peru went well and I am anxious to learn more about the big 80 party.

Talk to you soon,
M.





DEAR M.
THE CNN INTERVIEW WAS A DISASTER. CNN LURED ME TO THE INTERVIEW WITH PRETEXT THAT THEY WOULD ONLY ASK ME QUESTIONS RELATED TO THE SPECIFIC TREATMENTS AND METHODS SCRM EMPLOYS. INSTEAD IT TURNED INTO AN ATTACK ON ME PERSONALLY WITH WILD ACCUSATIONS. THEY EDITED OUT ALL MY PROPER RESPONSES AND MADE ME INTO THE VILLAGE IDIOT. WHEN I ANSWERED ABOUT MY MEDICAL BACKGROUND THEY ELIMINATED MY ANSWERS REGARDING THE EIGHT DIFFERENT SOCIETIES I BELONG TO THAT REQUIRE APPROVAL AND VERIFICATION OF MY CREDENTIALS SUCH AS AMERICAN SOCIETY OF HEMATOLOGY AND STEM CELLS; INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR CELLULAR THERAPY; SOCIETY OF BLOOD AND BONE MARROW TRANSPLANTATION ETC. I SPOKE ABOUT THE THE PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND OF JAVIER PAINO,M.D. NEUROSURGEON TRAINED AT MT. SINAI HOSPITAL AND PH.,D IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY FROM GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY WHICH THEY EDITED OUT.
INSTEAD OF AN EDUCATIONAL FORUM IT TURNED INTO AN EFFORT OF SENSATIONALISM. A SAD TIME FOR ME AFTER 55 YEARS OF A A RECORD OF MEDICAL EXCELLENCE. I HAVE GIVEN UP SO MUCH TO DO THE STEM CELL WORK INCLUDING A FUN LOVING MEDICAL PRACTICE IN MAUI, HAWAII. ODDLY ENOUGH I GOT ABOUT TEN PEOPLE CONTACTING ME FOR TREATMENTS THAT HAD SEEN THE TV PROGRAM. AMAZING....
IT LOOKS LIKE MY 80th BIRTHDAY PARTY WILL BE SCHEDULED ON JULY 4 SINCE IT FALLS OUT ON A SATURDAY
THE PARTY WILL PROBABLY BE A NOON TIME AFFAIR BUT THAT HAS NOT BE DEFINITELY DECIDED YET BY MY SONS WHO ARE RUNNING IT.
KINDEST REGARDS BURT



Well unfortunately that is how these people work. They edit the whole thing to say what they had planned before the interview even started. I am sure that many can tell that large amounts of your discussion that were eliminated since at one point you were walking during the interview and at another time you were sitting. However they only showed about 2 minutes of actual footage. It is unfortunate that they did not get the story right and focus on people who are really scamming the stem cell community such as Casey Nabavi. Besides this I hope all else is well and we can catch up soon.

Talk to you soon!!

M.
 

barbara

Pioneer Founding member
Send feedback to CNN about their lack of professionalism

I sent this to CNN. From what I have heard from reliable sources, they have been deluged with negative comments about the Lou Dobbs' show on stem cell treatments abroad. Please send CNN your comments if you feel that their stem cell story sucked. http://www.cnn.com/feedback/forms/form5.html?11

My comments that I posted to CNN:

Negative doesn't even begin to describe how I felt about Lou Dobbs' report on stem cell treatments abroad. I was interviewed by David Fitzgerald and after having my fill of his brand of investigative reporting, I declined any further interviews with him. The story was distorted, dishonest and a waste of time. CNN needs to send its reporters to journalism school as it is obvious that they were straining to make dirt out of a respectable doctor and the hopes of a family. Very poorly done. You need to air a story with scientific basis and with complete interviews, not just bits and pieces that lead the viewer to come to a different conclusion than what the person interviewed intended.
 

Jim

New member
Writing to CNN

This is what I sent earlier this afternoon after viewing the segment (at the time I didn't know Griffin's name):

It seems to me that this segment was negatively biased from the get-go. But the reporter flatly stated that "The International Society for Stem Cell Research says that 'these experimental treatments DO NOT WORK.'" I'm extremely doubtful that any such statement was ever made by anyone at the ISSCR and I challenge the reporter to document and substantiate this statement. Until then, I can only consider this statement to be an outright lie. This wasn't reporting, it was an editorial, and a pretty shabby and obvious one at that. You should be ashamed.
 

hlichten

Super Moderator
Typical modern news-manufacturing by a news network.
This is the selling of a garbage news article through sensationalism.

The big news networks do this day in and day out.

There is no such thing as news reporting any more.
 

bayofsoul

New member
Internationally there is concern about the quality of reporting in mainstream media in the US. Of course the US is not alone in deterioration of media standards and intelligent people around the world are genuinely concerned. The influence of the media, in support of powerful lobby groups, politically allied industry and - dare I say it - the likes of the FDA and its questionable supporters are damaging the prospects of affordable, timely medical treatment. The scale of the FDA's authority and budget is such that it impacts on decision making of many drug and device agencies around the world. When the media effectively depletes sound public argument, the future for people with life threatening illness is put at risk internationally.

This is how serious it is!

Thanks for the efforts everyone is making
Mark
 

Kaye

New member
Politicolnews blog

For what its worth, here's my two cents.

What purpose did this piece of garbage reporting serve? Most people with end stage disease have done a lot of research about their diseases and know that your reporter was not truthful. You have chosen to air an article that was not only NOT TRUE, but was also trying to discredit doctors who are actually helping patients. I think that CNN has totally discredited themselves this time. Are you sure the reporter didn?t work for another biased network and was just using you? Maybe the joke is on CNN?

Kaye
 

JC the Fox

New member
Roots

Just remember who established CNN; I'm sure that the reporters who work for the network know. The truth then becomes irrelevant.
 

barbara

Pioneer Founding member
Good discussion. I did my homework and checked the investigative reporter out before I went beyond the initial call asking for an interview. I am very wary believe me. I think Jeannine is too. Please make sure to post comments on the CNN site letting them know how you feel about this disgraceful reporting. Jim - your comments are excellent that you posted.

I also see more and more people simply not being sucked in by the media any more. That's a good thing. CNN treated its audience as if they were stupid and that is really downgrading to me and I am sure anyone that watched or read about the programs.
 

barbara

Pioneer Founding member
Dr. Feinerman's colleague checks in

One of Dr. Feinerman's colleagues sent the following to Dr. Feinerman and to CNN. I like his birthday party idea.


Below is my public reply on the Internet to CNN!!!

Let's invite Dr. Gupta to Tampa for your birthday celebration, which I will be honored to host!!! When is your birthday???

Dr. Gupta will be honest and ethical about his reporting!!!

Best regards,

Your friend,

Drew

Drew E. Fenton, MD, FAAEM says:


June 5, 2009 at 3:00 pm
To CNN:
The ?most trusted name in news? has just embarrassed itself!!! Shame on CNN for its ?gotcha? interview of the honorable, ethical, and honest Dr. Burton Feinerman, M.D.!!! In the latter stages of his distinguished medical career Dr. Feinerman has committed his life to a selfless cause larger than is imaginable to most, namely Stem Cell and Genetic Biotherapy!!!
I have had the profound pleasure of working for and knowing Dr. Feinerman, and I can vouch for his commitment, courage, ethics, honesty, and his distinguished career!!!
I invite the naysayers at CNN to revisit their unethical reporting of Dr. Feinerman and his commitment to Stem Cell and Genetic Biotherapy to cover his upcoming birthday party, which I would be honored to host in Tampa, Florida!!!
Sincerely,
Drew E. Fenton, MD, FAAEM
 

barbara

Pioneer Founding member
ISSCR has industry ties. CNN fails to mention this

This link is for the upcoming ISSCR meeting. CNN has somehow elevated this Big Pharma supported group to being the world's authority on stem cell treatments. What a tangled web this all becomes.



http://www.isscr.org/meetings/iws.cfm.
 
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