Petition for Medical Freedom

THOMAS NAVARRO NEEDS YOUR HELP TO GET THE TREATMENT HIS PARENTS WANT FOR HIM

Little Thomas Navarro of Tucson, Arizona, and his family are in the midst of battling for his life. Thomas has medulloblastoma and had surgery in September to remove the tumor. However, this type of cancer always recurs. So, Thomas' parents chose to take him to Dr. Burzynski, instead of subjecting their little boy to combination chemotherapy and radiation and their life-threatening and long-term side effects. These toxic treatments offer no cure. Also, because he has no tumor, Thomas is ineligible to be treated in one of Dr. Burzynski's clinical trials. The Navarros want their son treated under Special Exception status. [Obtaining a Special Exception is another problem the Navarros face.]

Thomas needs your help to battle his cancer. The Navarros need your help to fight their way to the Burzynski Clinic, to obtain the freedom of choice every American deserves, and to choose quality of life for their son.

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Dear Members of the Burzynski Patient Group,

In the past, our patient group has asked for your help, and you have always come through. We truly appreciate it. I know everyone is busy because of the holidays but as we make plans with family and friends, little Thomas Navarro and his family are waiting in a hotel room in Houston, Texas, since before Thanksgiving! They are waiting for the FDA to allow Thomas to participate in a clinical trial that may save his life. We need you to write to the president, vice president, congressmen, and senators, as listed at the end of this letter.

Four-year-old Thomas Navarro of Tucson, Arizona, has a medulloblastoma brain tumor, which also is called a PNET tumor. This is the same kind of tumor that Dustin Kunnari was diagnosed with at the age of 2 ½ years. As you may know, Dustin is in remission and off treatment with antineoplastons. He is a healthy 8-year-old. Unfortunately, if the FDA gets its way, Thomas will not be as lucky as Dustin. Thomas will have to undergo chemotherapy and radiation therapy, and may end up dying or living with severe physical and mental deficits.

After Thomas had the tumor removed surgically, his parents, Jim and Donna, decided their son’s best chance for survival was Dr. Burzynski’s antineoplaston therapy. However, Thomas’s doctors in Tucson did not agree. Currently, if the Navarros return to Arizona, Thomas will be taken away from them. It seems his doctors feel it is better for Thomas to be taken from his family and subjected to chemotherapy and radiation therapy, rather than have the treatment his parents have chosen. This is true even though these doctors know that the treatments they are recommending are experimental, because these therapies have never been approved by the FDA for use in young children.

However, unlike antineoplastons, these therapies are extremely toxic. Because the brain tumor is not measurable and because Thomas has not had chemotherapy and radiation therapy, he cannot be enrolled in Dr. Burzynski’s Protocol BT-12 for medulloblastoma. Furthermore, the FDA refuses to give Thomas the status of being a "Special Exception."

Over the past 3 months, Jim and Donna have fought the FDA for their son’s life. They just want Thomas to be treated with antineoplastons. Dr. Burzynski has complied with all of the FDA’s requests, to no avail. (Everyone agrees the requests are just stalling tactics.) Senator John McCain, a presidential candidate, has been in daily contact with the FDA on Thomas’s behalf. Still, the FDA feels it can continue to deny the Navarro’s request. We don’t know what it will take to get the FDA to change its angry mind. This agency continues to wreak its vengeance on innocent children in attempts to get to Dr. Burzynski. This must stop.

Even though Dr. Burzynski’s results with medulloblastoma are very good--and far better than anything traditional medicine has to offer--the FDA has the power to say "No." The FDA can come up with excuses endlessly. But we can do something about it, and we must do it NOW.

A US Congressman once told our patient group that individual members of congress do not have much power, but if we can get lots of people to write and call them regarding a certain issue, then they are forced to take some kind of action.

Please keep in mind that children are alive today because of your help. All of you have allowed the Burzynski Clinic to remain open and have succeeding in the incredible effort to have Dr. Burzynski vindicated in court. Because of you and your efforts, he is now conducting 72 clinical trials for cancer, one for HIV, and one for autoimmune diseases. His results are very exciting, and he plans to apply for approval for antineoplastons in the near future, hopefully in the year 2000. We are trying to make the year 2000 Dr. Burzynski’s year, and Thomas Navarro’s year!

But Thomas is not an isolated case. There have been many children in the same situation. Some of these parents have been forced under court order to subject their children to chemotherapy and radiation therapy, even though they knew in their hearts it was WRONG.

The Horwins are one family--Michael and Raphaele. These young parents lost their 2-year-old son Alexander because, despite their unceasing efforts, they were not allowed to enroll him in Dr. Burzynski’s clinical trial for medulloblastoma. Alexander died within a few months, and he suffered horribly. The Horwins are brave people. They have been helping Thomas’s parents with their advice based on their own experience and extensive research. They have found that the medical literature shows "chemotherapy for young children with medulloblastoma is toxic, carcinogenic, unproven, and ineffective. After twenty years of this therapy there is absolutely no credible evidence that it has any value (other than to the oncologists prescribing it and the drug companies making it)."

You can make a real difference in a child’s life. Don’t let the FDA allow Thomas to die! Thomas has no time to lose.

Please write a short letter to the President and send copies to the Vice President and all of the congressmen and senators listed on this page. I’ve provided you with their addresses; all you have to do is cut them out and paste them on an envelope. Here are some suggestions on what to write, if you feel awkward using your own words:

Please give this letter to everyone you know. Ask them to write to save Thomas’s life. You really can make a difference in this child’s life and, just maybe, Thomas can go home for Christmas.

We have beaten the FDA before. We need to do it again--and again, and for as long as it takes.

Have a happy and healthy Year 2000, be thankful that your family is not in the Navarros’ position, and pat yourself on the back for doing a wonderful thing!

Rita Starr, Burzynski Patient Group FAX: 305-535-2509

E-MAIL: pwalter@nni.com

In addition to writing to congress, please phone, fax, or e-mail the following people:

The members of congress listed below have helped in the past. They know the Burzynski story and are more likely to help than are other members of congress. PLEASE WRITE, CALL, FAX, OR E-MAIL ALL OF THE FOLLOWING (If you can't contact all of them, contact a few in the order listed. The most effective way is writing a letter; you can write to just one person and copy the rest, but put a sticky on the copy stating it is an urgent matter. Also, you can fax the letter. Calling is also very effective. E-mailing is the least effective because of the huge amount of e-mail the congressmen and senators receive. But rather than do nothing at all, please e-mail.):

1. The Honorable John McCain
241 Senate Russell Building
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: 202-224-2235
Fax: 202-228-2862
john_mccain@mccain.senate.gov

2. The Honorable Dan Burton
2185 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: 202-225-2276 Fax: 202-225-0016

3. The Honorable Thomas Harkin
731 Senate Hart Building
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: 202-224-3254 Fax: 202-224-9369

4. The Honorable Joe Barton
2264 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: 202-225-2002 Fax: 202-225-3052 rep.barton@mail.house.gov

5. The Honorable Arlen Specter
711 Senate Hart Building
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: 202-224-4254 Fax: 202-228-1229

6. The Honorable Richard Burr
1513 Longworth House Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: 202-225-2071 Fax: 202-225-2995 richard.burrNC05@mail.house.gov

7. The Honorable Peter DeFazio
2134 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: 202-225-6416 Fax: 202-226-3502

8. President Bill Clinton
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20500
Phone: 202-456-1414

9. Vice President Al Gore
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20500
Phone: 202-456-2326 Fax: 202-456-7044