My mother was given information about a fundraiser to raise money to send the great-grandson of one of her high school friends to China for stem cell treatments for optic nerve hypoplasia. She called to ask me if this was a legitimate treatment, because if it is, she'd like to help out.
I went googling, and this article [link] sums up the legitimate scientific thought. However, there are pages and pages of people who have paid upwards of $50,000 for this therapy and claimed that it worked. Doctors who have tested children before and after don't see any difference, but the internet is full of testimonials, once again illustrating that the plural of anecdote is not data.
This condition is tailor-made for this kind of sleaziness, because people are desperate to save their child from a life of blindness and because children with this condition fairly often acquire at least light and dark vision as they get older, without any treatment. It's just so sad.
I'm going to tell Mom this, but I doubt if she can talk them out of it.
I have been clicking on Daisy Jane's links all lunch. Thank you for all the cool new internet places to look at pretty things!
As far as I'm aware, stem-cell tourism treatments like that are ALL scams. China and Mexico seem to be the most common destinations.
I figured it was a scam when I went looking, but I hadn't realized they were low enough to target blind toddlers.
Trudy, that's SO AWESOME!! If I send you some money, will you buy some some earrings or a necklace?
Sure!
I will do my best to keep a journal but that's not really my strong suit.
Pictures will happen, I just need to get a camera -- something cheap but not awful with a lot of memory.
Alima's stuff is very nicely milled. It looks like they've expanded their color range, so I may even be able to find a match for my peachness.
I think I have a jar of Alima foundation, and didn't use it because it was a smidge too dark for me. Cass, I will try to remember to hand it to you the next time I see you.
Clothing shopping: Newport News, oddly, will come up with some really good things for me. I'm currently ogling the lace frock coat-ish "blazer": [link]
Hey, I can't afford to buy anything right now, so I'm letting you people benefit. Also, did I mention Tulle and Stop Staring? [link] [link]
hrm, should i schedule accupuncture for before or after chiropractor? i usually try to stagger the treatments to different dates but with the extra shifts at work i'm running out of weekend.
OMG I roasted a chicken, made kale chips, and made kale/cannelini bean/potato soup, with a butternut squash base. Someone clean the kitchen for me? I have a new roommate coming tomorrow.
I seriously start crashing at 9 pm these days. So much for night owl me.
