|
|
 |
The Family, the Film, and the Oil
- The Family -
"Augusto Daniel Odone (Rome, May 4, 1933) and Michaela Teresa Murphy Odone (January 10, 1939 – June 10, 2000) are the parents of Lorenzo Odone (May 29, 1978 – May 30, 2008), a child afflicted with the illness adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD). They became famous for discovering a treatment using Lorenzo's oil, for their son's "incurable" illness, and this quest was recounted in the film Lorenzo's Oil (1992).[1] One of Augusto's other children is the journalist Cristina Odone.In recognition of the parents' work, Augusto Odone has received an honorary doctorate from the University of Stirling. He continues to raise funds and drive the scientific task force known as The Myelin Project. Michaela Odone battled cancer for some time, and finally died of lung cancer at 61.[2]
Lorenzo died the day after his 30th birthday. He was almost totally paralyzed but was, according to his father Augusto, "holding his own". He couldn't see, speak, or move on his own. He communicated by wiggling his fingers and blinking his eyes. His mind was intact and he enjoyed music and having people read to him. "Certainly, he has good days and bad days, he is bedridden and he cannot eat more than through a tube… but his mind is still there. He likes that we read to him, that we play music for him and he knows who is around him".[3] He lived with his father in Virginia and was cared for by nurses and his family friend, Oumouri Hassane. In the summer of 2010 Augusto Odone moved to Acqui Terme, Italy, near his father's village of Gamalero where he lived when he was young." - Wikipedia
 
- The Film -
The film is based on the true story of Augusto and Michaela Odone and their son Lorenzo. In 1984 Lorenzo came down with adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD), a rare inherited disease. Doctors said that he would lose all his functions and die within two to three years. Refusing to accept this grim verdict, the Odones set out on a mission to find a treatment for ALD and to save their child (Lorenzo survived, and is now 25 years old). In their quest for a treatment the Odones often clashed with doctors, scientists, and support groups, who were skeptical that anything could be done about ALD, much less by laypeople. Their relentless struggle tested the strength of their marriage, the depth of their beliefs, and the boundaries of conventional medicine.
The Odones haunted medical libraries, reviewed countless animal experiments, badgered researchers, questioned top doctors all over the world, and persisted until a solution came to them in a moment of inspiration. They commissioned a special type of oil from a British firm, which normalized the accumulation of very long chain fatty acids in the brain, the hallmark of ALD. The film ends on a positive note, showing several healthy children who, having followed a course of treatment with Lorenzo's Oil, remained symptom-free. The conclusion relates that Lorenzo can communicate again by a modified sign language, and that Augusto Odone was awarded an honorary Ph.D. for his pioneering work in researching and discovering a significant treatment for ALD. In the second chapter of the story, the Odones founded The Myelin Project in the hope of finding a way to restore the myelin sheath, which is destroyed in ALD and a host of other myelin diseases, such as multiple sclerosis.
- The Oil -
What is Lorenzo's Oil?
Lorenzo's Oil is a combination of a 4:1 mix of erucic acid and oleic acid, extracted from rapeseed oil and olive oil.
How does Lorenzo’s Oil work?
The animated flash slide show below illustrates the mechanism of action of Lorenzo's Oil. Click to view this slide show.
 
Can Lorenzo's Oil help treat diseases other than ALD (adrenoleukodystrophy)?
Lorenzo's Oil is specific to ALD, does not repair myelin, and does not have any known effect on other demyelinating disorders. In ALD presymptomatic boys, however, Lorenzo's Oil often (but not always) prevents the onset of the disease by stopping the body from producing the very long chain fatty acids, whose buildup leads to demyelination.
|
|
|
|
OPML |
Search This Site |
Home
