THE AMBASSADORS - EDITORIAL - Vol. 4, Issue 2 (July 2001)

A question was raised by many of The Ambassadors Magazine's readers. Why not dedicate an issue of the MEGASTARS section to people with special needs? In previous issues we've focused on and reported several stories about individuals who have succeeded over debilitating ailments to accomplish, in some cases, remarkable achievements. One such story was that of Goodwill Ambassador for the National Down Syndrome Society, Chris Burke. Other notables with trisomy-21 whose lives were explored in the pages of the Ambassadors include Nigel Hunt (England), Sheenagah Hardie (Scotland) and Omar A. Al-Awadi (Kuwait). This issue's feature story is no different. This time we look at 1.5 million Americans who are affected by short stature and some of their achievements in all facets of life despite all obstacles. This section, however, is reserved for a tribute to a selection of persons across time and place who have defeated their 'special needs' and proved that resilience and ambition can help conquer most obstacles.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR), himself a polio survivor, was confined to a wheelchair most of his later years. However, this obstacle didn't stop him from pursuing and achieving the highest seat in the nation. A much-loved, politician, strategic tactician, able diplomat and devoted leader, FDR dedicated much of his efforts to supporting polio research, raising in 1937 $1-million at the annual Presidential ball alone. Roosevelt's friend, celebrity Eddie Cantor, recommended that he continue the fund-raising by asking each American to contribute a dime "The March of Dimes." And so, in one of FDR's famous weekly radio addresses, he asked each citizen to send a dime to the White House to help fund polio-research. 1938, Roosevelt created the National Foundation of Infantile Paralysis (March of Dimes), was the name used for the fund-raising itself and the foundation mission was to prevent and cure polio. The foundation supported the discovery of both Salk & Sabin's vaccines for polio prophylaxis. The March of Dimes foundation continued its medical research towards other disabling conditions, as a result of which, ten of its scientists have become Noble Prize laureates. President FDR, who was stricken with the polio virus when he was 39, affecting both his lower limbs causing flaccid paraplegia, succeeded to regain the use of his legs through swimming. As a direct result of FDR's initiative, polio is now vanishing all over the world.

Few birth defects have become as sensationalized more than Siamese twins, and none more popularized than the astonishing story of Eng and Cheng. On May 11, 1811 Chang and Eng were born in China, where there was much excitement among the midwives and neighbors attending the historic birth when they learned that the twins were connected by a short, flexible, fleshy band or ligament, breastbone to breastbone. It wasn't long before the initial excitement turned to fright and no one would touch them. However, their mother appears to have been quite sensible. She untwisted them and straightened the band, and bathed them. Thus began the life of the famous conjoined twins who gave the world the term "Siamese twins". The consensus among the doctors was that the twins could not be separated..

Chang and Eng moved to USA and soon became good friends with a neighbor, and eventually married two of his daughters (Sallie and Adelaide). Originally they setup housekeeping in one house, but as the children started coming, one household was not big enough. Chang and Adelaide had ten children. Eng and Sallie had eleven children. Eventually they moved into separate houses spending three days at each other's house. In January 1874, Chang died during the night. The next morning, Sallie sent one of the children racing to get Dr. Hollingsworth to separate Eng from Chang. A formerly healthy Eng complained of being "very bad off." He was rational but terrified and complained of agonizing pain and distress, especially in his limbs. Finally, he lapsed into a coma-like stupor. An hour later, he died at 63 years of age. The uniqueness of End and Cheng's story and their ability to forge somewhat normal lives is in itself a remarkable achievements.

On June 18, 2001, TIME magazine chose 33-year-old to be the subject of a special feature story and put the blind hero on its issue cover. For some persons just crossing the street can be a risky venture. Erik Weihenmayer, who was the victim of a rare hereditary disease of the retina (retinoschis), causing his blindness since he was thirteen. This year Erik became the first sightless person to scale Mount Everest's killer peak, a heroic accomplishment by every measure. Plenty of sighted people walk through life with less poise and grace than Erik, unsure of their steps, and second-guessing their every move. On his Everest climb, Erik humbly exclaims that "If a blind guy can do it, anyone can." But even the many able-sighted weren't as lucky as Erik. Almost 90% of Everest climbers have failed to reach the summit. Horrifyingly, since 1953, at least 165 never returned from the climb. Erik and his wife Ellie and their one-year-old daughter, Emma, celebrated his climb.

An ancient Egyptian pharaoh, a French emperor and an Arabic musical icon. What could they have in common? The Ancient Egyptian Pharaoh, Akhnaton, was allegedly diagnosed with "AAA-disease" (known as bilharziasis or schistosomiasis). This endemic parasitic disease was first described in Cairo by the German scientist, Theodor Bilharz in 1851. Some also mentioned that Napoleon Bonaparte was infected with this parasite after swimming in Egypt. It is well known that the famous Egyptian singer, Abdel Halim Hafez died with complications of this disease. Bilharziasis has high prevalence among rural farmers and can cause liver cirrhosis, enlarged spleen, cancer bladder, etc. With the disease's victims dating back 4,000 years, the Egyptian government launched a mass campaign headed by Prof. Ismail Sallam (Minister of Health and Population) to eradicate the disease. During my recent visit to Egypt to offer lectures to family doctors in four provinces, I found that the prevalence of bilharziasis in Munofia province has dropped to less than 2%. Our sincere congratulations and acknowledgement to all those who have contributed to this campaign.

By presenting the brief stories of persons with different special needs, from Akhnaton to Roosevelt it is clear that a dream can conquer any and all involuntary limitations. We have to search together in order to find preventive tools for all environmental and genetic problems which could affect our children and grandchildren while continuing to encourage those around us who suffer with such ailments to aspire and dream. Below, I have borrowed from the words of the acknowledged poet Hala El-Banna to inspire us all to search the depths for the pearls within:

I'll keep searching in the deepest ocean,
I'll keep looking everywhere I go,
I'll keep hoping for that ray of light;
the one that'll brighten my days and nights.
I'll keep dreaming, for maybe one day
I'll reach a long sought dream
And turn abstract into concrete

Prof. Talaat I. Farag, MD, FRCP(Edin), FACP
Chief Editor, The Ambassadors Magazine
Tel/Fax: (902) 425-0375
Email: mail@ambassadors.net