A press briefing had been given by some UK stem cell scientists and the Parkinson's Society warning about the growing trend for British people to go abroad for unproven stem cell therapy. Generally it seems to be people with chronic, debilitating illnesses like multiple sclerosis, motor neurone disease and Parkinson's.
The general approach to the case study is to phone round the large relevant charities and support groups and ask if they know anyone with the appropriate history who would be willing to speak to the press. It is generally accepted as taking ages. Which is why people like me are asked to do it. I started phoning at 10.30am and finally decided I had done my best, phoned enough people and left enough messages two hours later.
Despite the thousands of people who are supposed to be going on stem cell holidays, I didn't get the impression that many were talking to their charities about it. We told the subs not to expect a case study.
But then at about 4pm someone from the MS society finally rang back with the contact details of a woman who had been to Holland for what she later came to believe was 'bogus' stem cell therapy. Bingo - I thought. Blog fodder - science editor thought.
But I rang the woman anyway. It seemed rude not to and I don't mind providing blog fodder. She was great. Open, thoughtful, even a bit inspiring. I wrote it up and filed it just in case.
O.M.G. They loved it. The news editor, or deputy, or someone important said it was "a great piece of reporting". The science editor said it really raised the profile of the story.
Reader, they printed my case study in the paper.
Today, I was told we were going to compile a 'Power 100' most influential people in UK science for the science supplement Eureka! Don't worry, I didn't have to work out the hundred people, they had that already. I had to write 50 word biographies of them all. By 4pm I thought I might die of boredom. By 6.30pm I had seventy done. Which leaves thirty still to go tomorrow. Snore.
But at least I wasn't one if the three people who today had to read TB's book, all 750+ pages of it, and have hourly meetings about the good bits. Appraisal from the guy sitting nearest us: surprisingly badly written and much more than we need to know about his toilet habits.
Jean that's great! Well done. Seems like success and recognition come when they're least expected. (and don't when they are..).
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