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Everyday Miracles

Curing Multiple Sclerosis, Scleroderma, and Autoimmune Diseases by Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant

Foreword by XIV Dalai Lama
Published by Forefront Books
Distributed by Simon & Schuster

About The Book

A life-changing treatment is conquering auto-immune disorders—why doesn’t anyone know about it?

Thirty-five years ago, Dr. Richard Burt began a journey to treat chronic autoimmune diseases as they’d never been treated before. Using a treatment originally developed for leukemia but modified to be more gentle—a one-time combination of immune targeting drugs followed by a transplant of the patient’s blood stem cells—he has documented the successful and often dramatic reversal of multiple sclerosis, systemic sclerosis (scleroderma), chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIPD), neuromyelitis optica, and Crohn’s disease.

After decades of study and randomized trials, his approach, which has been duplicated in other parts of the world, is finally being recognized as an effective means of reversing these “incurable” diseases. Some of his patients have been symptom-free for more than twenty years, and in this book Dr. Burt tells their stories alongside his own journey of developing and refining the treatment, known as hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) for autoimmune disorders. “These patients are the heroes,” Dr. Burt has said. “Their bodies and spirits faced unrelenting disease, and yet they fight valiantly against the suffering and obstacles.”

What is HSCT? How does it work? What are the risks? Why aren’t more doctors talking about it? And why is it still out of reach for so many patients who could benefit from it? Dr. Burt answers these questions and many more. Written for the layperson, Everyday Miracles grants patients with autoimmune diseases and the people who love them insights into the revolutionary approach that could convert their life sentence into a one-time reversible illness.

About The Author

Dr. Richard K. Burt (https://astemcelljourney.com/about/drrichardburt/) is a Fulbright Scholar, Professor of Medicine at Scripps Health Care, tenured retired Professor of Medicine at Northwestern University, and CEO of Genani biotechnology. He endeavored for thirty-five years, first with animal models then with some of the world’s first clinical trials, to bring the field of stem cell and cellular therapy to the patient’s bedside. Dr. Burt has published more than 145 mostly first author articles and is the Editor of four medical textbooks. He was the first Autoimmune Committee Chairperson for the International Bone Marrow Transplant Registry (IBMTR) and was the principal investigator of a National Institute of Health (NIH) $10,000,000 multi-center contract to develop stem cell clinical trials for autoimmune diseases. Professor Burt performed America’s first hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) for multiple sclerosis (MS), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), Crohn’s disease (CD), stiff person syndrome (SPS), and chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) and published the world’s first randomized clinical stem cell transplantation trials for systemic sclerosis and multiple sclerosis. He has been awarded Leukemia Scholar of America, the Lupus Foundation of America Fidelitas Award, the Van Bekkum Award by the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation, the Distinguished Clinical Achievement Award by the Clinical Research Forum, and the European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation Clinical Achievement Award. Dr. Burt was presented in Vatican City, Rome with the “Keys to the Vatican”, was speaker at the Festival of Thinkers in Leadership in Healthcare in the United Arab Emirates, and chaired the biotechnology session at the Baku Azerbaijan International Humanitarian Forum. Dr. Burt was recognized by Science Illustrated for accomplishing one of the Top 10 medical breakthroughs for the next ten years, and by Scientific American as one of the Top 50 individuals, teams, or organizations for improving humanity and outstanding leadership.

Product Details

  • Publisher: Forefront Books (January 10, 2023)
  • Length: 240 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781637631263

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Raves and Reviews

“Propelled by compassion and intellect, Dr. Richard Burt’s journey of scientific discovery led to a breakthrough treatment for autoimmune disease resulting in hundreds of sufferers living disease-free. Everyday Miracles is his story and theirs—displays of courage and perseverance against conventional thinking and disease will find you in awe on one page and angry on another. As a catastrophic illness survivor, I, along with my family, share the gratitude felt by the individuals profiled in this book and we are very thankful for Richard’s brilliant mind and compassionate heart. As a former United States congressman and senator, [I know] there is much to gain from following Dr. Burt’s lead and challenging conventional wisdom on the treatment of disease.”

– U.S. Senator Mark Kirk (IL)

“Dr. Richard Burt tells us in Everyday Miracles that ‘Medicine is the interface between the humanities and science.’ The author’s fascinating journey takes us on our own discovery of humanity and medical and healthcare systems and structures for advancing knowledge and healthcare. Dr. Burt has a unique voice and a powerful set of stories to tell.”

– Professor Henry Bienen, PhD, President Emeritus, President Northwestern University (1995 to 2009)

“An inspirational book by a pioneering physician whose humanity and empathy shine from every page. Dr. Burt really understands the terrible toll of autoimmune conditions—the pain of gradually losing one’s essential self to MS or Crohn’s disease—and has dedicated his life to finding a new answer. It’s a must-read for patients and doctors alike.”

– Caroline Wyatt, Award-winning International Broadcaster and Journalist

“Inspiring and often deeply humanistic. In Everyday Miracles, Professor Richard Burt, the preeminent physician-scientist in the field of stem cell transplantation for autoimmune diseases, offers insight through a beautifully written book into a pathway for hope and cures.”

– James Mason MD, Professor of Medicine, Scripps Clinic, USA

“As a physician looking after people with multiple sclerosis, I found this book to be both moving and insightful. Its heartwarming stories give an accurate reflection of the true cost of this devastating illness and the human ingenuity [that’s needed] trying to find a cure for it. This is an essential read for everyone with multiple sclerosis, systemic sclerosis, or other autoimmune diseases.”

– Basil Sharrack, PhD, Professor of Neurology, University of Sheffield, UK

Everyday Miracles is an engaging explanation of a new treatment that has fundamentally changed the natural history of multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune diseases. It is out-of-the-box thinking that advances science and medicine with a depth of conscience. Its impact will extend well beyond these diseases and patients as it teaches us about the ethics of our societies and medical care. It is a window into curing diseases and a window into ourselves.”

– Dominique Farge MD, PhD, Professor of Medicine, Université Paris-Cité, France

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