Austin Texas Open House Info-Saturday, March 14th.

[rdf]

rdf, I posted a pdf of my slides from that talk https://www.carecure.net/forum/showp...2&postcount=27

It was amazing. It must have been close to 300 people in the audience. I am afraid that there would be more because there wasn't much more room for more people in that big room. I was supposed to give an hour's talk and I ended up talking nearly 2 hours. Then I think that we had maybe two hours of questions. They dragged me off to a Mexican dinner at about 5:30 or 6 pm. I told the people at Brackenridge that they should do more these Open Houses. People were really hungry for information.

I tried something new with this group. Normally, at Open Houses, I would give people an update about therapies that have been developed since Christopher Reeve's injury. Last semester, I developed a talk for our undergraduates students to describe what spinal cord injury was, focussing particularly on the question of how the spinal cord injury is injured, why recover occurs, and what is needed to regenerate the spinal cord. I had tried that in a couple of our Open Houses at Rutgers and people liked it.

The Lone Star Foundation is really committed to supporting clinical trials. I am also convinced that there is something in the waters of Austin that makes people especially nice. They were really nice, more so than one can reasonably expect anybody to be so nice. I told Tom Caven (The Medical Director of Brackenridge Hospital) that and he quipped that perhaps there is lithium in the water. Ha, ha. Anyway, lithium or not, they have big cars, big people, and big hearts in Austin.

This particular trial has the support of the governor of Texas who couldn't be there but gave a heart-felt video talk to us at a reception the night before our workshop. The reception was held at the Texas State History Museum. We had a real taste of Texas. I am bringing home a Texas flag (actually flow at the legislature). The food is wonderful. They had the best quail that I have ever tasted. I had some authentic chicken fried steak, which was texas-size and accompanied by a bowl of gravy and mashed potatoes. And, of course, I had Tex-Mex food. At the hospital, I had the most incredible salsa sauce made by a very famous Katie.

Next month, we have representatives from several of the centers coming to China, to see the surgery and the walking program in Kunming. Craig Semperer (a neurosurgeon) and Charlotte Smith (the rehab doctor in charge of the Recovery Center) from Brackenridge will be coming to Kunming to observe surgery and the walking program, so that we can come back with more ideas about what the U.S. surgical and walking training program can be like. It is nice to have such enthusiasm and excitement that people are willing to take to time to come.

Brackenridge will become a major clinical trial center for spinal cord injury therapies in the coming years. They have very large number of acute spinal cord (apparently 90-100 per year) and traumatic brain injury (1800 per year). They have an impressive recovery center with a commitment to "recovery" rather than just rehabilitation. They are very open-minded and want to be involved in clinical trials. I was quite impressed.

Wise.

Thanks for the slides and for the summary, Wise. I'm glad to hear things are finally moving ahead in a more positive direction. I'm also glad you got to enjoy the people and the food and the ambiance of Austin, and the enthusiasm from the other attendees; sounds like you all had a good time. Considering all the work you do that is geared towards the benefit of others, I consider a good time by you was well deserved.

Anyway, lithium or not, they have big cars, big people, and big hearts in Austin.

Well the old saying is everything's bigger in TX. Austin sounds great, maybe if it's not the lithium, it's the liberalism

It's good to hear Rick Perry is behind this trial, he earns my respect for that.

One of these days I have to meet up with you somewhere, and meet you in person. We've known each other via the Internet for a long time, and I hope to catch up with you one of these days at a gathering such as took place in Austin.

They had the best quail that I have ever tasted. I had some authentic chicken fried steak, which was texas-size and accompanied by a bowl of gravy and mashed potatoes. And, of course, I had Tex-Mex food. At the hospital, I had the most incredible salsa sauce made by a very famous Katie.

Dang, that makes me very hungry...sounds delicious.

[Leif]

It’s hype, especially since DA was not there.

[McDuff]

I take it you didn't read the thread in the Cure Forum, DA was there.

[Jim]

Leif, sorry you didn't make it bro, there were a bunch of us from CareCure. It was the biggest open House i have ever been at, 270 people, 65+ in wheelchairs, incredible! It was nice meeting DA, who I have known for 10+ yrs online. You should come next month to our fundraiser in NJ. MadProducer is making the trip from the Dirty South. If you come, drinks are on me.

[DA]

It’s hype, especially since DA was not there.

whoa, what a detailed dream. i shoulda went naked.

[Leif]

Leif, sorry you didn't make it bro, there were a bunch of us from CareCure. It was the biggest open House i have ever been at, 270 people, 65+ in wheelchairs, incredible! It was nice meeting DA, who I have known for 10+ yrs online. You should come next month to our fundraiser in NJ. MadProducer is making the trip from the Dirty South. If you come, drinks are on me.

DA during his time in cure discussions has said multiple times stem cells and especially hESC will not lead the cure on SCI. Guess DA has some secret chemical clinical 3.rd grade sci cure he’s cooking on.

[Leif]

whoa, what a detailed dream. i shoulda went naked.

Might see you at Mount Sinai in NY soon then, some neuroscientists from BCM will also be there.

[Leif]

Aside Jim. 65 sci’ed in wheelchairs in the US for a gartering like this is not a lot. Quite frankly it is few. Texas?