- http://www.webmd.com/brain/features/als-stem-cell-patient-trial
- http://www.webmd.com/news/breaking-news/stem-cells/default.htm
- http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/features/stem-cells-faq-questions-answers
- http://img.webmd.com/dtmcms/live/webmd/consumer_assets/site_images/miscellaneous/breaking_news/stem-cell.pdf
Provide names of other journalists involved.
Dan DeNoon Damon Meharg Nancy LeBrun Laura Martin, MD Miranda Hitti
List date(s) this work was published or aired.
21-Aug-12
Provide a brief synopsis of the story or stories, including any significant findings.
As part of a special project on stem cells, we wanted to illustrate the human side of research. What is it like to be part of a clinical trial? How does it feel to be a researcher searching for the next big breakthrough? What motivates someone to take part, especially if it’s risky? To do so, we followed ALS patient John Jerome as he took part in a stem cell clinical trial that put him at significant personal risk for little to no personal gain. In telling Jerome’s story, we had three main goals: Bring readers inside the dramatic surgery, discover why Jerome chose to take the risk, and lay out what was at stake from his viewpoint and from that of the researcher conducting the trial. Our coverage in video and text stepped beyond the controversy about embryonic stem cell research to show what was actually happening in the field, in personal terms and in plain language. We found far more than science: a patient willing to put his life on the line to benefit others more than himself. A neurologist whose work with thousands of ALS patients left him feeling compelled him to study what, if any, potential stem cells had against ALS. All of this was set against a backdrop of bogus stem cell “treatments” touted online that are little more than a mirage based on false hope.
Explain types of documents, data or Internet resources used. Were FOI or public records act requests required? How did this affect the work?
WebMD Senior Health Writer Dan DeNoon researched the procedure and scientists involved in the trial. No FOI or public records were required.
Explain types of human sources used.
DeNoon and WebMD Senior Video Producer Damon Meharg conducted numerous interviews over several weeks for the story. They were permitted in the operating room for the surgery, which provided the dramatic footage and details that brought the story to life. Other interviews included: *John Jerome and his wife, Donna, before and after he received the embryonic stem cell treatment *Jonathan Glass, MD, professor of neurology and neuropathology and director, Emory ALS Clinic, Atlanta. *Eva Feldman, MD, PhD, professor of neurology, University of Michigan; president, American Neurological Association. *Nicholas Boulis, MD, neurosurgeon, Emory University Hospital.
Results:
Our footage from the operating room, along with the accompanying text, gave readers a rare behind-the-scenes look at what is involved in stem cell research.
Follow-up (if any). Have you run a correction or clarification on the report or has anyone come forward to challenge its accuracy? If so, please explain.
n/a
Advice to other journalists planning a similar story or project.
Of course you’ll cover the science, and of course you’ll cover the procedure. But don’t stop there. Paint a picture of the people involved — their motivations, emotions, challenges, fears, and hopes. Make the story come to life. Bring the reader into that world. It’s not about you, as the journalist, showing how well you understood the technicalities of what went on in the operating room. It’s about showing your reader what brought those people to that point, what happened afterward, and what it means for other people.