JANUARY 14, I was among the first
journalists, along with Jon E. Dougherty of
WorldNetDaily
On January 12, to report nationally on the case of four year-old
Thomas Navarro. Navarro's family wants their son, who has brain
cancer, to be treated by Houston clinician Stanislaw Burzynski,
MD, PhD. Burzynski uses a nontoxic alternative treatment called
antineoplastons and has battled for 20 years for approval of his
methods. Since last fall, the Navarros, who allowed Thomas to have
surgery but have eschewed follow-up conventional chemotherapy and
radiation, have been prevented from using the Burzynski therapy
by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
On January 10, Alan Keyes, PhD, one of six leading candidates for
the Republican Presidential nomination, raised the issue of the
Navarros' plight in his closing statement at a nationally televised
candidates' debate.
The story has now been reported in the mainstream national media
and the Navarros' cause has gained support from the other five Republican
candidates, as well. All six candidates for the Republican presidential
nomination (Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch dropped out of the race on January
27) have signed a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary
Donna Shalala, drafted by Keyes, which says, in part, "It should
be the right of every responsible American citizen to seek the medical
care of their choice without government bureaucracies standing in
their way. Time is running out for Thomas Navarro and for countless
Americans like him. It is imperative that you expedite a decision
on allowing the medical treatment chosen by his parents for this
young boy."
In addition to Keyes and Hatch, the other candidates who signed
the letter are social activist Gary Bauer, Gov. George W. Bush (TX),
publisher Steve Forbes, and Sen. John McCain (AZ).
Alan Keyes gestures
to the Navarros, GOP debate, Des Moines, Iowa Jan. 15, 2000 Digital
still video capture from C-SPAN by Peter Chowka
"I
just wanted you to have a chance to meet them. . ."
In the January 15th debate televised nationally from Des Moines,
Iowa, Keyes, true to the promise he had made to the Navarros beforehand,
devoted his entire opening statement to Thomas' situation. From
his position on stage, Keyes gestured to Thomas and his father James,
who were sitting in the VIP section of the audience, and father
and son were shown on national television for the first time. Keyes
had invited James and Thomas to appear with him at a number of campaign
stops in Iowa starting on January 15, prior to the caucuses held
in the state on January 23. James and his son flew to Des Moines
from Houston, where they have set up camp at a hotel near the Burzynski
clinic with Thomas' mother Donna for over two months. There, they
continue to wait for what they hope will be official government
permission for Thomas to access the Burzynski therapy.
In a statement released by his campaign from Johnston, Iowa on January
15 following the first "face-to-face meeting" between Keyes and
James and Thomas Navarro the day before, Keyes said "I will do everything
in my power to help Thomas Navarro receive the medical treatment
that his family wants for him. There is no excuse for the federal
government, in the name of protecting the people, to stand idly
by and let this young boy die.
"This
nation was conceived in liberty," Keyes went on, "so that all who
lived here might be free of tyranny. When a government stands in
the way of the right of responsible American citizens to seek the
medical care of their choice, we have moved one step closer to the
kind of tyrannies our founding fathers sought to escape. Secretary
of Health and Human Services Donna Shalala needs to act now to remove
the barriers that stand between Thomas Navarro and the only chance
to save his life."
Keyes' unequivocal support of the Navarros and the larger issue
of medical freedom of choice, in two debates, in news releases,
at his official campaign Web site, and on the campaign trail, represents
the highest profile national political support for freedom to choose
alternative medicine in modern history.
Enter the mainstream media
On January 18, James Navarro made his first nationally televised
talk show appearance on Hannity and Colmes, a nightly, live,
hot hour long political discussion show from New York City on the
Fox News Channel, again at the behest of Keyes. Keyes was a guest
on the show from Washington and he was joined on the air for a few
moments by James Navarro to discuss the case. The show's hosts,
conservative Sean Hannity and liberal Alan Colmes, rarely agree
on anything, but both commented on the air that Thomas' family should
have the right to choose his therapy.
The next major media highpoint came on Friday, January 28 when NBC
Nightly News broadcast a two and a half minute segment on the
case, reported by NBC political correspondent David Bloom. Featured
in the report were James and Thomas Navarro and the boy's mother
Donna; Burzynski; an orthodox MD who dismissed the Burzynski therapy;
and candidates Keyes and front runner for the nomination George
W. Bush. Bloom introduced Bush's soundbite: "Enter the politicians
- first, Republican Alan Keyes. Now, Texas Governor George W. Bush,
urging the FDA to reconsider, arguing it's the family's choice,
not the Federal Government's." Bush was then shown on camera speaking
with reporters at a campaign stop in New Hampshire: "The parents
are absolutely worried to death about radiation and what it means
to the boy. I hope the FDA would reconsider."
Stay tuned for further developments.
