Archive for November, 2009

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Ryan McLaughlin to ask for a meeting with the Prime Minister

Monday, November 30th, 2009 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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gordonbrown

Ryan Mclaughlin of the Shine on Scotland campaign for vitamin D as a preventitive measure against MS will step up his campaigning this week for a meeting with the UK Prime Minister Mr Gordon Brown.

The bravehearted 14 year old tried to get sneaky meeting with him a few weeks back when he visited North Glasgow College to support Willie Bain but unfortunately there just wasn’t enough time but he was promised a meeting at a later date, although a little disappointed he knew that Mr Brown was a very busy man and was happy to get a promise of a meet at a later date.

Mrs Sarah Brown is a great supporter of MS and he hopes that Mr Brown will support him.

Ryan says ” this is so important to my cause if we can get the UK government support we may be able to move forward in the prevention of  MS through vitamin D supplementation,  there are loads of people from all over the UK wanting this now – I get emails almost every day from Mum’s wanting to protect their kids , it is so cheap to supply it so why delay it’s introduction – a clinical study would cost a 100 times more than just doing it now and would take years to show results  and we must protect kids from MS now.

He say’s the  Scottish Government have been amazing and so supportive and he hopes to open the eyes of the UK  Government in a similar fashion to the Scottish Government but said he has no plans to dress as William Wallace again on any visit and it will be kept very low key.

www.shineonscotland.org.uk

Kano is going home!

Sunday, November 29th, 2009 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Uncategorized

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/2009/11/16/man-crippled-by-devastating-rare-illness-set-to-come-home-thanks-to-generosity-of-scottish-football-fans-86908-21825707/

A SCOTS family man whose life has been devastated by a crippling illness is on his way home, thanks to an incredible fundraising effort by Scottish football fans.

Martin Kane, 41, was hospitalised a year ago when he was left paralysed by the rare disease Devic’s Syndrome and suffered a lifetime of multiple sclerosis symptoms in one night.

The devastating illness has left the Glasgow-born expat almost entirely paralysed, and he has spent more than a year in hospital because his family house in Perth, Australia, could not meet his medical needs and needed a refit costing £50,000.

But earlier this year, a group of kind-hearted fellow Celtic fans, whom he had only ever chatted to on the internet, launched a huge fundraising effort to get him back home with his family in time for Christmas and, after six months of hard work, reached the target this weekend with a charity night at Celtic Park.

And with the funds in place to renovate and refit the house to accommodate his special needs, Martin, nicknamed Kano by pals, is now on target to get home for Christmas.

Martin’s wife Carolyn, 49, said the entire family were amazed and grateful for the incredible effort from the fans.

She said: “I can’t find the words to express how grateful I am or how amazed I am at what so many people have done for us, and the efforts people have gone to for Martin even though they have never met or even spoken to him in real life.

“The support we have had from the Celtic fans around the world is what has kept us both going over the last year, and it has made all the difference to Martin while he has been stuck in hospital.

“But now we can get the work done on the house in time, and with help from the hospital, should have him home for a proper family Christmas.”

Martin was struck by the disease on the night of November 5, last year, when a tingling sensation quickly developed into a loss of feeling right across his body.

He was rushed to hospital in Perth, where doctors feared the worst and Carolyn was told his situation could not be more serious.

Although a heart attack or stroke were initially suspected, he was later diagnosed with Devic’s, which is a very rare and extreme neurological condition, similar to suffering a lifetime’s worth of MS symptoms in a matter of minutes.

The condition is an extreme form of multiple sclerosis. It causes the immune system to attack the protective material that covers the nerves, and is so rare there is not even a statistic covering its incidence per head of population.

Like many neurological conditions, the cause is unknown, and it is impossible to know how long it might take Martin to recover.

Hours after his first symptom, Martin became paralysed from the neck down and breathes through a ventilator.

He has been living in a rehab centre in Perth ever since, unable to move or speak, and can only mouth words or smile to communicate to his wife and children Sean, 16, and Alanna, 13.

His story was first told in an Australian news broadcast this summer when star player Scott Brown and former manager Gordon Strachan sent him messages of support.

And when his friends on popular Celtic fans blog Celticquicknews.co.uk found out, they launched a worldwide campaign to raise the funds needed.

They have since staged sponsored slims, bike rides, sponsored 10k entries, quiz and music nights, and also raised £10,000 from a bucket collection outside Celtic Park last month, but the target was reached on Saturday at a special charity race night in the stadium.

The campaign was boosted by a £3000 donation from the Celtic Charity Fund, while old firm rivals Rangers donated a signed Ally McCoist print for auction.

Vitamin D might be just as important as vaccine to prevent effects of H1N1 swine flu, say researchers

Thursday, November 26th, 2009 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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TORONTO, Nov. 26

The world’s leading vitamin D experts say that raising your levels of “the sunshine vitamin” this winter might be the best way to help your body naturally raise its resistance to all forms of the flu virus – including the H1N1 swine flu virus.

That’s the message vitamin D advocate Dr. William Grant wants you to take to the bank.

“I’m a little hesitant to say it will reduce your risk of being infected, but it certainly will reduce your risk of dying from the complications, such as pneumonia, if you are infected,” says Grant, founder of the Sunlight, Nutrition and Health Research Center – a vitamin D research and advocacy group.

Grant is concerned that epidemic vitamin D deficiency in Canada — 97 percent of Canadians are vitamin D deficient in the winter due to Canada’s northerly latitudes and relatively weak sunlight 4-6 months of the year — means that Canadians could be more susceptible to flu virus in the winter.

Grant points to research suggesting:

    -  Higher vitamin D levels assist the body's innate immune system. Some
       studies suggest taking 2,000 IU of vitamin D/day will decrease your
       risk of seasonal flu.
    -  The groups most affected by the H1N1 swine flu virus have been those
       most likely to be vitamin D deficient: pregnant women, obese people,
       those with Type II diabetes and children with neurological disorders.
    -  Many of the deaths associated with the H1N1 virus have been pneumonia
       related, which means anything that would assist your body's innate
       immune system would make you less likely to be affected.
The worldwide vitamin D research community now recommends getting your vitamin D levels checked with a calcidiol test and maintaining vitamin D levels of 40-60 ng/ml.

 

November is Vitamin D Awareness Month in Canada.

Vitamin D – the missing link for multiple sclerosis sufferers

Monday, November 23rd, 2009 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Vitamin D – the missing link for multiple sclerosis sufferers

By Hilary Freeman

Sunlight provides Vitamin D – but is weaker in northern countries like Iceland.

Scientists have uncovered increasing evidence of the significance of Vitamin D in the development of multiple sclerosis. Now, Australian researchers have found that Vitamin D may actually reduce its symptoms.

Professor Bruce Taylor, a principal research fellow at the Menzies Institute in Hobart, studied 145 patients in southern Tasmania and tracked their seasonal susceptibility to the disease. He looked at how Vitamin D levels influenced their risk of having an attack of MS.

‘We found that the higher your Vitamin D level, the lower your chance of relapse, and for each ten nanomole [a standard measure of concentration of Vitamin D in the blood] increase in Vitamin D, you can reduce your risk of having an attack of MS by about ten per cent. Doubling your Vitamin D will reduce your risk by up to 50 per cent – a major result.’

Helen Yates, the Multiple Sclerosis Resource Centre’s chief executive, says: ‘It has long been believed that Vitamin D has a role to play in the risk of developing MS but this new research opens up the strong possibility that this vitamin could impact on relapse rates.’

The MS Society’s research communications officer, Dr Susan Kohlhaas, says: ‘These results are very early-stage and need to be reviewed and validated before we draw any firm conclusions.’

It has been known for many years that the further you live from the Equator, the more likely you are to develop MS. For example, Malaysia has hardly any sufferers but in Scotland and Scandinavia MS is relatively common.

It is believed this is due to a shortage of Vitamin D; countries far from the Equator, such as those in Northern Europe, enjoy less sunshine, the main source of Vitamin D.

Research has shown that babies born in May – who developed in the womb during the Vitamin D-scarce winter months – are the most likely to get MS in later life, while those born in November are at much lower risk.

Another study this year found evidence that Vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy and infancy could increase a child’s risk of developing MS in later life. The researchers concluded that taking Vitamin D supplements during these times could reduce the risk, although this has yet to be proven.

Ryan Nominated for Community Champion Award

Monday, November 9th, 2009 | Posted in Uncategorized

10 DAYS TO FIND OUR CHAMPIONS by the Evening Timescomchamplogo

THE countdown has started as the hunt for Glasgow’s top community champions switches to the west of the city.

The momentum is building as the Evening Times searches for the local heroes living or working in the areas around Drumchapel, Anniesland, Whiteinch and Yoker for the second Glasgow Community Champion Awards event.

And it is up to you to tell us your West Side stories of inspirational people and outstanding organisations which deserve recognition for their tireless commitment to helping others.

We have teamed up with Strathclyde Police, Strathclyde Fire & Rescue, Glasgow City Council and Glasgow Community Planning Partnership to scour the city for unsung neighbourhood champs.

Today we’ve picked three examples of people doing remarkable work.

But we need your help to tell us about the hidden army of folk dedicated to making a difference. Fill out an application today online or call us for a paper form. The deadline for entries is next Thursday, November 19.

Everyone is invited along to the gala awards ceremony at Drumchapel Community Centre on Kinfauns Drive on Wednesday, December 2 to meet the shortlisted nominees and representatives from the awards partners.

Awards will be presented in six categories, while all 60 winners from across the city will be invited to a gala grand final next Autumn.

BOBATH SCOTLANDevtimcomlogo

FAMILIES from across Scotland have travelled to the West of Glasgow for 14 years for the life-changing treatment offered at Bobath Scotland.

The charity encourages children with cerebral palsy to realise their full potential through its intensive courses of physiotherapy, occupational health and language and speech therapy.

The Scottish centre – one of only three in the UK – began life in Knightswood in 1995.

It was founded by a group of families, therapists and helpers.

Currently it is housed in temporary accommodation in Drumchapel and its 15 staff work with around 325 families each year.

Cerebral palsy, which can affect movement, sight, speech, hearing and breathing, is the result of damage to the nervous system most commonly caused by a failure of part of the brain to develop in the womb or early childhood.

The Bobath technique uses physical manipulation and training to help improve posture, boost muscle control and stabilise unwanted muscle activity. It costs more than £4000 to provide a six-week block of Bobath therapy to a child.

The charity, which receives around 25% of its funding from the NHS, has to raise around £1.2million annually and its high profile supporters include Olympic rower Sir Steve Redgrave, curling champion Rhona Martin and TV personality Carol Smillie.

Later this month, it will open a new chapter as it moves into new premises at Craighall Business Park in Port Dundas.

Chief executive Roy Hudson said: “We’ve made it state-of-the-art with pulleys and slings tracking from the ceilings in the therapy rooms, which we haven’t got just now, and there’s a special wet-room.”

G15 PROJECTg15 youth

IT’S A mark of the respect in which the staff of youth project G15 are held that their core clients aged 12-25 do not want to lose touch as they get older.

Project co-ordinator Joyce Bell, said: “People in their thirties keep in contact – they bring their babies in and invite us to their weddings!

“Once young people get involved in the project they absolutely love it.

“We take them out of the bubble of Drumchapel and show them something positive to get involved in, and so build their self-confidence and break down territorialism.”

From a former janitor’s house at St Clare’s Primary on Peel Glen Road in Drumchapel, the team of four staff offer a two-pronged service to around 150-200 young residents every week.

It operates as a drop-in advice and information centre with a reference library, IT facilities, chill-out room and meeting area. In addition, the team offer career coaching and sports activities as varied as golf, abseiling, fishing, mountain biking, hip hop dancing and archery.

The second string to its bow is streetwork, where two youth workers, working in partnership with Culture and Sport Glasgow, go onto the streets of Drumchapel to target under-25s who don’t access any services.

Ms Bell adds: “The main aim is getting them involved. Hopefully it leads onto other things and gets them away from anti-social behaviour.”

The project, which costs around £140,000 to run is funded by Glasgow City Council, The Robertson Trust, The Gannochy Trust and Lloyds TSB, was established in 1997.

RYAN McLAUGHLINryan champ

A DECADE ago, the technology Ryan McLaughlin uses to spread the word about his Multiple Sclerosis campaign, Shine on Scotland, didn’t exist.

But the schoolboy from Drumchapel, who has won support from JK Rowling, Sir Tom Hunter and Michelle Mone, wishes with every fibre of is body that someone else had taken up the fight long before him.

The 14-year-old, whose mother Kirsten suffers from the illness, said: “I wish there was somebody who had done it 10 years ago – if they had, my mum might not have contracted the disease and we would be further along with research into Vitamin D and the prevention of MS.”

The third-year pupil at Knightswood Secondary has taken his campaign for pregnant women and young children in Scotland to be given vitamin D supplements to the doors of power. Dressed as William Wallace, he led hundreds of his peers on a march down Edinburgh’s Royal Mile to Holyrood this summer.

Only last week his efforts paid off, as the campaign won political backing for a scientific summit on the possible links between MS and a Vitamin D deficiency, likely to be held in Scotland next year.

Scientists believe extra Vitamin D could prevent up to 80% of MS cases, for which there is no cure. Scotland has the highest prevalence of MS in the world and 12,500 people have the disabling neurological condition.

Ryan said: “The summit means that there will be a chance for both sides of this fight to get their information on paper and be able to argue who is right.

“I believe my side is right, but the Government feels they’re right. Hopefully we’ll come out on top.”

Ryan used social networking sites such as Bebo, Facebook and Myspace to spread awareness of his campaign.

The trigger was his, “own anger and inability to do anything at all” after finding out his mother, a former Tae Kwon Do champion, had the condition and he and brother Darren, 10, were being tested.

Ryan, who has been involved with Tae Kwon Do since he was a toddler, recently picked up gold and silver medals in a championship in Malaysia, and trains three nights a week.

He describes a “Mexican wave” of interest in his campaign that has prompted emails from Canada, Australia, Spain, and letters of support from author JK Rowling, whose mother died of the disease aged 45 in 1991.

Juggling studying for his Standard Grades with his martial arts training and the campaign is something Ryan takes in his stride. He adds: “It is hard, but it’s do-able, and if I can, why not?

“It really is exciting to know that I’ve started this movement and I’m helping people as well.”

http://eveningtimes.co.uk/features/display.var.2534358.0.0.php

Teenage obesity link to future MS

Monday, November 9th, 2009 | Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in Uncategorized

Being obese as a teenager may be linked with an increased risk of multiple sclerosis as an adult, researchers say.obseityboy

A 40-year study of 238,000 women found those who were obese at 18 had twice the risk of developing MS compared to women who were slimmer at that age.

Yet body size during childhood or adulthood was not found to be associated with MS risk, the US researchers report in Neurology.

But an MS charity warned more research was needed to confirm the findings.

Researchers from Harvard School of Public Health used data from nurses taking part in a large study on diet, lifestyle factors and health.

Over the course of the study, 593 women were diagnosed with MS, a condition caused by the loss of nerve fibres and their protective myelin sheath in the brain and spinal cord, which causes neurological damage.

The researchers compared the risk of the disease with body mass index (BMI) – a ratio of weight to height – at age 18.

Participants were also asked to describe their body size using a series of diagrams at the age of five, 10 and 20.

The study showed that those with an “obese” BMI of 30 or larger at age 18 had more than twice the risk of developing MS.

There was also a smaller increased risk in those who were classed as overweight .

The results were the same after accounting for smoking status and physical activity level.

Body shape

When comparing the risk of MS with self-reported body shape, the researchers found no association between childhood obesity and the future chances of developing the disease.

They also found no risk associated with adult obesity.

But women who had a larger body size at 20 years of age also had almost twice the risk of MS compared to women who reported a thinner body size.

Previous research has linked high levels of vitamin D with a reduced risk of MS and the researchers point out that obesity is associated with low vitamin D levels in the body.

The researchers suggest fatty tissue produces substances that affect the immune system, which may also provide a link with the chances of developing MS.

Further research should look at confirming the findings in men and individuals from different ethnic groups as well as comparing with vitamin D levels, they said.

“Our results suggest that weight during adolescence, rather than childhood or adulthood, is critical in determining the risk of MS,” said study author Kassandra Munger, ScD, of Harvard School of Public Health in Boston.

“There’s a lot of research supporting the idea that adolescence may be an important time for development of disease, so what we have found is consistent with that.”

She added: “Teaching and practicing obesity prevention from the start – but especially during teenage years – may be an important step in reducing the risk of MS later in life for women.”

Susan Kohlhaas, research communications officer for the MS Society, said: “This study does not account for several other factors that may play a role in causing MS. Based on that, more work is needed.

“As such, it is difficult to determine whether teenage obesity could be a possible factor in causing MS in women.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8342585.stm

Boy wins fight for Holyrood summit on vitamin D plea

Wednesday, November 4th, 2009 | Posted in Uncategorized

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A schoolboy who launched a one-man campaign to help halt multiple sclerosis after his mother was stricken by the disease has scored another major victory.

Ryan McLaughlin, 14, was told a Government summit would be held to discuss his plea for pregnant women and young children to be given vitamin D supplements to help prevent MS.

The 14-year-old, who launched his Shine On campaign after his mother Kirsten, a former tae kwon do champion, was diagnosed with the disease, led hundreds of Saltire-waving children down the Royal Mile in Edinburgh in June and, dressed as William Wallace, handed in a petition to the Scottish Parliament.

Ryan, from Drumchapel, Glasgow, who has won a nomination as young campaigner in The Herald Scottish Politician of the Year awards, said: “We are delighted to be taking the issue forward. This is of extreme importance – the foundation of our campaign is easy provision of vitamin D and to know the benefits.

“For this to come so early has been a dream, but it’s sad that I have had to bring the issue in this way.

“If scientists had done this research 20 years ago, my mother might never have contracted MS.”

Ryan admits he has never lacked confidence and has been supported by his proud father Alan, but he says his friends have enjoyed getting involved. He added: “They think it’s been fantastic. I thought they would be resistant to the idea but they’ve been extremely supportive.

“I have been able to bring this to my friends’ point of view, and they in turn have taken it to other friends, so it’s been a bit like a Mexican wave.”

So has the success of his petition prompted thoughts of a career in politics? He replied: “I would rather go into medicine, where surgery is my aim.”

Alan said: “I am very proud of Ryan. He spent three months researching this issue and then six months campaigning, working with the MS Society, to get to where we are now. The whole thing has been a whirlwind.”

Since the march, Ryan has also won gold and silver medals in tae kwon do in Malaysia.

He was back at the Parliament yesterday to hear the public petitions committee agree to consider the issue further in an attempt to resolve a deadlock between campaigners and the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition.

Pro-vitamin campaigners are confident they can win this argument, which would lead to the issue being referred to Holyrood’s health committee, who would then consider the merits of free supply of the “sunshine” vitamin to children and pregnant mothers.

Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon also agreed to the summit to raise awareness of the impact of vitamin D on MS. Many scientists believe this could prevent up to 80% of cases of MS, which currently has no cure and affects 12,500 Scots, more per head than anywhere else in the world.

Committee convener and Labour MSP Frank McAveety congratulated Ryan and his supporters for their work and told him: “I hope we can continue to raise the petition’s concerns with those who make decisions.”

David NcNiven, director of the Multiple Sclerosis Society Scotland, said Ryan’s campaign had already achieved great strides.

“This has been an excellent example of a young person making full use of social networking skills in support of a good cause, with his video being used in campaigning around the world,” he said.

A Scottish Government spokesman said Ms Sturgeon had “supported proposals to organise a summit on MS and its links to Vitamin D”.

“Details on this will be made available once plans are finalised,” he added.

Campaigners have also asked about the possibility of a research project into vitamin D and how it affects pregnant women, which will be “considered in the normal manner”, the spokesman said.

story by the Herald

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/boy-wins-fight-for-holyrood-summit-on-vitamin-d-plea-1.930388

Schoolboy campaigner backs vitamin D summit

Wednesday, November 4th, 2009 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Uncategorized

Scotland_2__558708a

A major international summit on the links between multiple sclerosis and vitamin D deficiency, supported by the Scottish government, is to take place in Scotland early next year thanks to the efforts of a campaigning schoolboy.

Ryan McLaughlin, 14, whose mother suffers from the disease, said yesterday he was delighted that that Ministers were backing an opportunity to explore the growing evidence that lack of the vitamin could be implicated in the high incidence of the disease.

The summit will bring together government health advisers as well as researchers from Britain and countries such as Canada, where much work has been done on MS, and where supplementation of vitamin D is officially advocated in the general population.

The Scottish conference will be organised by the MS Society and Shine on Scotland, Ryan’s group. News of the event follows a long campaign by The Times to highlight evidence that shortage of vitamin D, caused by Scotland’s lack of sunshine, could be linked to the country’s record for chronic ill health, including cancer, diabetes and heart disease.

Yesterday, the petitions committee at Holyrood supported Ryan’s call for new guidelines on vitamin D supplements for pregnant women and young children, and agreed to take the issue forward.

Alan McLaughlin, Ryan’s father, said he was “a little disappointed” the matter had not been referred to the health committee, but said the family was still confident that Parliament would carry out the inquiries into the disease which they sought.

He said the family had had a meeting with Nicola Sturgeon, the Health Secretary, and Shona Robison, Minister for Public Health, and had been told that the government would also support a clinical trial in one of Scotland’s major cities to test pregnant women for their levels of vitamin D.

The Scottish government told the campaigners in September that an awareness campaign highlighting the importance of vitamin D was under “active consideration,” and promised new guidelines on the use of the vitamin by children, pregnant and breastfeeding women.

However, it ruled out free vitamin D supplements for all pregnant and breastfeeding women, and said there were no plans to introduce the supplements in the form of fortified milk or other drinks at school.Link

In its response to Ryan’s petition, the government said it was fully committed to improving the understanding and treatment of MS, although it said much of the evidence of a link between vitamin D and the disease was at an early stage and further work was needed before any definitive clonclusions be drawn.

Alan McLaughlin described the Government response as “very supportive” of their broad aims. He said that Ms Sturgeon had also been supportive of the idea of government funding for a clinical trial in a major Scottish city in which thousands of pregnant women would have their vitamin D levels taken, in order to determine the prevalence of deficiency. The research would be carried out by the University of Edinburgh.

Mr McLaughlin pointed out that American scientists, meeting in Boston two weeks ago, have evaluated the feasibility of conducting what would be the largest clinical study ever undertaken to explore the role that vitamin D may play in MS.

David McNiven, director of MS Society Scotland, said: “We have been asked to deliver the summit but we haven’t yet sat down and worked out the logistics of it. It will be early next year in Edinburgh.”

A spokesman for the Scottish government said: “We’re keen to learn all we can about any possible links between Vitamin D and Multiple Sclerosis and are keeping a very close eye on all the emerging evidence.

“During a very positive meeting with Shine On Scotland the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing Nicola Sturgeon supported proposals to organise a summit on MS and its links to Vitamin D, details on this will be made available once plans are finalised.

“Shine On Scotland also raised the possibility of applying for funding for a research project involving women who are pregnant. These proposals, once submitted, will be considered in the normal manner.”

Story by Melanie Reid The Times

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/scotland/article6902010.ece

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