Lorenzo's Oil Page #8

...the saturates further up the chain,

between C22 and C24.

There we stop

the bloody things completely.

- And how would you do that?

- By adding monounsaturated C22.

- That's erucic acid.

- Yes, exactly.

Erm...

- Martha?

- Yes, Doctor?

Among our animal studies,

you will find a file on erucic acid.

With an e... r-u-c-i-c.

- OK.

- Thank you.

You don't believe it will work?

I think what you have done is postulate a

theory that could be of enormous benefit.

But, as for erucic acid,

it creates cardiac problems in rats.

If it's not safe for rats, I don't know

what justification there can be...

...for using it as a therapy on humans.

But Gus, Gus...

...erucic acid is the chief component

in rapeseed oil, right?

Rapeseed oil is a common food

in China and India.

And their rate of heart disease

is far lower than here.

All right, look at these documents.

Cardiac lipidosis...

...myocardial lesions, cholesterol

deposits in the adrenal gland...

...and damage to the reproductive system.

I'm afraid the weight of evidence

is much too great.

And no human-studies

review committee...

...will ever do anything but discard

erucic acid out of hand.

But the human studies

have been accomplished by history.

They have been eating the stuff

in these countries for thousands of years.

You can't expect me to start a protocol

based on that kind of assertion.

You should examine your protocol...

...when children are dying and

find a way to research these...

- It's common sense.

- We simply have a contradiction.

We seek more information. We do not

dismiss erucic acid out of hand.

Michaela, if I ignore all this evidence...

...and we embark on a therapy

based on erucic acid...

Something goes wrong. What then?

Well, then I suppose the risk-reward

ratio is too unattractive for you.

I beg your pardon?

The life of one boy

is not enough reward for you...

...to risk the reputation of the

institution and the esteem of your peers.

That was uncalled for. Your responsibility

is merely towards your own child.

My responsibility is towards all the boys

that suffer from this disease...

...now and in the future.

Of course I anguish for

the suffering of your boy.

And of course I applaud you for

the efforts you make on his behalf.

But I will have nothing to do

with this oil.

We are not asking, Doctor,

for your anguish or your applause.

We are asking merely for a little courage.

OK. All right.

No, whatever the doctors say,

reason tells us it is a risk worth taking.

But, my friend, we need

a sympathetic collaborator, hm?

If it was in my hands, I would do

anything I could to help, Mr Odone.

I have a boy of my own.

But I don't like our chances.

You know, they said the same thing

about the oleic acid, and here it was...

- ...sitting right on the shelf.

- This is a whole other ball game.

Extracting the saturated C24 and 26

from rapeseed oil...

It's very tricky. It would take

our best chemist at least a year.

And then you would never get it past the

FDA. Erucic acid for human consumption?

I'm sorry, but no one in the country

is gonna touch it.

Well, what about

outside this country, hm?

Uh, I wouldn't know where to send you.

Oh, Mr Pellerman! We're agents

for over a dozen foreign companies.

There must be one that could help.

Maybe all we need to do is look

at the list of the foreign companies.

No, you and your wife

have enough to do.

I'm sure Mr Pellerman would be happy

to make the calls for you.

We'd have to be covered, legally.

If anything goes wrong, this company

is not going to be held liable.

Oh, we would not hold you liable. No, no.

And this... It would be greatly

appreciated if we could circulate this.

"The interplay of monounsaturated

and saturated fatty acids:

...therapeutic application in ALD."

- Wow.

- You wrote this?

Yes. We felt that

if we were asking for help...

...our rationale needs to be very clear.

We've all read your paper.

It's a beautiful piece of biochemistry.

Over a hundred companies

all say "too difficult".

Well, my first impression

was that it's bloody impossible.

But I've been doing difficult

fractionations for 40 years...

- ...and I'd like to have a stab at it.

- How long do you think, Mr Suddaby?

I've only six months

before I retire, so we'll see.

All right. Then I'll let you get on with

it. Call me if you have any questions.

Righto. Bye, then.

Who could this be?

Ah, your good friend Wendy...

...with all sorts of lovely

vegetables and fruits.

- Hi, Michaela.

- Look what you brought us!

Hi, Lorenzo.

Jake's not in school today?

He's not feeling so good.

I'm going for a walk with Mrs Gimble

and we shall be back shortly.

I've given him his oxcarbazepine

and 15ml of water.

- Do you want me to do anything else?

- I'm sure he would love a story.

Do you have a problem with this?

Fine.

- He's had a couple of tantrums.

- Oh, I'm sorry.

It's OK.

- Dr Rizzo got him in the oleic acid trial.

- That's good.

Hi, Jake.

Hi, sweetie.

Thank you for my potatoes.

Say hello, son.

Hi, Mrs...

...Odone.

He saw the way Jaybird went.

He knows what's in store for him.

"They forgot their hunger

and followed the bird."

"They came to an opening in the forest."

"Before them was a little cottage,

gleaming in the rays of the setting sun."

"'Look, Gretel' exclaimed Hansel.

'That cottage is made of gingerbread."'

"'It really is' replied Gretel,

running up and tasting a bit...

...that she had pulled from the wall."

"'And the roof is shingled

with butterscotch."'

"'The windowsills are made of chocolate'

declared Hansel, breaking off a bit."

"'The windowpanes are clear candy'

said Gretel. At that moment..."

Nancy Jo, do you think you could muster

just a tad more enthusiasm?

Lorenzo loves words.

He loves the sound of language.

Well, I'm paid to nurse,

not read stories.

You've decided his mind doesn't need

as much nurturing as his body?

What mind?

I beg your pardon!

Nothing.

Get out.

- Look, Mrs Odone...

- Just get out.

I've read up on this disease!

I know what it's done to his brain!

Sh! Lorenzo doesn't need this from

a subliterate with a double-digit IQ!

Face it. The lights are out

and nobody's home!

- Just get out. Go!

- Well, merry Christmas.

- Get out!

- Happy holidays!

And a joyous yuletide!

"Near a great forest

lived a poor woodcutter...

...with his two children,

Hansel and Gretel."

"Times were very hard and

a day came when there was no food...

...except a little stale bread."

"But Hansel..." was like you, my darling.

"He was a clever lad who knew

how to solve difficult problems."

"The woodcutter was very sad..."

Are you going to

keep doing this?

She brought it on herself. She

consigned herself to the outer darkness.

Michaela, Nancy Jo, she was

a good nurse. You train her well.

Yes, but I want someone

to give him more than medication.

Someone who will minister

to his mind and his soul.

- I think I've found him.

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