New protocol could signal shift in bone regenerative medicine – PR Web

DURHAM, N.C. (PRWEB) January 06, 2020

A new, safe and efficient way to coax stem cells into bone cells is reported in a recently published article from STEM CELLS Translational Medicine (SCTM). The protocol, developed by researchers at the University of Sydney, Australian Research Centre (ARC) for Innovative BioEngineering, could lead to a shift in the treatment of bone regenerative medicine.

Large bone defects and loss due to cancer or trauma can result in scar tissue that impairs the bones ability to repair and regenerate. The current gold standard therapy, autografting, has inherent drawbacks, including limited availability and donor site morbidity. This leaves researchers seeking an alternative source of bone cells and makes bone tissue engineering a growing field with considerable translational potential.

The success of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology to reprogram fibroblasts into progenitor cells of various lineages offers an exciting route for tissue repair and regeneration, said Zufu Lu, Ph.D., a member of the University of Sydneys Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering Research Unit and a research associate at the ARC for Innovative BioEngineering. He is a co-lead investigator of the SCTM study, along with Professor Hala Zreiqat, Ph.D., head of the research unit and director of the ARC Training Centre for Innovative BioEngineering.

However, while iPSC technology represents a potentially unlimited source of progenitor cells and allows patients to use their own cells for tissue repair and regeneration thus posing little or no risk of immune rejection the technology has several constraints. Among them are the requirement for complex reprogramming using the Yamanaka factors (Oct3/4, Sox2, Klf4, c-Myc). To add to the complexity, specific stimuli are required to direct iPSCs to re-differentiate to progenitor cells of the lineage of interest.

In addition, Dr. Lu said, any remaining iPSCs pose the risk of tumors following implantation.

One potential way around this, as demonstrated by recent studies, is through the direct reprogramming of fibroblasts into bone cells. Fibroblasts are morphologically similar to osteoblasts. Their similar transcriptomic profiles led us to hypothesize that distinct factors produced by osteoblasts may be capable of coaxing fibroblasts to become osteoblast-like cells, Prof. Zreiqat said.

Previous studies aimed at using fibroblasts to produce various cell types relied on the genetic manipulation of one or more transcription regulators. But just as with iPSCs, reprogramming fibroblasts in this manner has its own inherent technical and safety issues. The Lu-Zreiqat team, however, surmised that an approach employing natural factors might just allow better control over reprogramming and improve the safety.

Unlike genetic reprogramming, chemical induction of cell reprogramming is generally rapid and reversible, and is also more amenable to control through factor dosage and/or combinations with other molecules, Dr. Lu explained.

The team initially determined that media conditioned by human osteoblasts can induce reprogramming of human fibroblasts to functional osteoblasts. Next, said Prof. Zreiqat, our proteomic analysis identified a single naturally bioactive protein, insulin growth factor binding protein-7 (IGFBP7), as being significantly elevated in media conditioned with osteoblasts, compared to those with fibroblasts.

This led them to test IGFBP7s ability as a transcription factor. They found it, indeed, successfully induced a switch from fibroblasts to osteoblasts in vitro. They next tested it in a mouse model and once again experienced success when the fibroblasts produced mineralized tissue. The switch was associated with senescence and dependent on autocrine IL-6 signaling.

The approach we describe in our study has significant advantages over other commonly used cell sources including iPSCs and adult mesenchymal stem cells, Dr. Lu and Prof Zreiqat concluded.

Bone tissue engineering is a growing field where cell therapies have considerable translational potential, but current cell-based approaches face limitations, said Anthony Atala, M.D., Editor-in-Chief of STEM CELLS Translational Medicine and director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine. The novel observation described in this study could potentially lead to a shift in the current paradigm of bone regenerative medicine.

This study was conducted in collaboration with the Charles Perkins Centre and the Childrens Hospital at Westmead, University of Sydney.

The full article, Reprogramming of human fibroblasts into osteoblasts by insulin-like growth factor binding protein 7, can be accessed at https://stemcellsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/sctm.19-0281.

About STEM CELLS Translational Medicine: STEM CELLS Translational Medicine (SCTM), co-published by AlphaMed Press and Wiley, is a monthly peer-reviewed publication dedicated to significantly advancing the clinical utilization of stem cell molecular and cellular biology. By bridging stem cell research and clinical trials, SCTM will help move applications of these critical investigations closer to accepted best practices. SCTM is the official journal partner of Regenerative Medicine Foundation.

About AlphaMed Press: Established in 1983, AlphaMed Press with offices in Durham, NC, San Francisco, CA, and Belfast, Northern Ireland, publishes two other internationally renowned peer-reviewed journals: STEM CELLS (http://www.StemCells.com), celebrating its 38th year, is the world's first journal devoted to this fast paced field of research. The Oncologist (http://www.TheOncologist.com), also a monthly peer-reviewed publication, entering its 25th year, is devoted to community and hospital-based oncologists and physicians entrusted with cancer patient care. All three journals are premier periodicals with globally recognized editorial boards dedicated to advancing knowledge and education in their focused disciplines.

About Wiley: Wiley, a global company, helps people and organizations develop the skills and knowledge they need to succeed. Our online scientific, technical, medical and scholarly journals, combined with our digital learning, assessment and certification solutions, help universities, learned societies, businesses, governments and individuals increase the academic and professional impact of their work. For more than 200 years, we have delivered consistent performance to our stakeholders. The company's website can be accessed at http://www.wiley.com.

About Regenerative Medicine Foundation (RMF): The non-profit Regenerative Medicine Foundation fosters strategic collaborations to accelerate the development of regenerative medicine to improve health and deliver cures. RMF pursues its mission by producing its flagship World Stem Cell Summit, honouring leaders through the Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Action Awards, and promoting educational initiatives.

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New protocol could signal shift in bone regenerative medicine - PR Web

Stem Cell Alopecia Treatment Market 2020 Size, Share Metrics, Growth Trends and Forecast to 2026 – Pro News Time

New Jersey, United States, Verified Market Research indicates that the Stem Cell Alopecia Treatment Market is expected to surge at a steady rate in the coming years, as economies flourish. The research report, titled [Global Stem Cell Alopecia Treatment Market Research Report 2020], provides a comprehensive review of the global market. Analysts have identified the key drivers and restraints in the overall market. They have studied the historical milestones achieved by the Global Stem Cell Alopecia Treatment Market and emerging trends. A comparison of the two has enabled the analysts to draw a potential trajectory of the Global Stem Cell Alopecia Treatment Market for the forecast period.

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Top 10 Companies in the Global Stem Cell Alopecia Treatment Market Research Report:

Global Stem Cell Alopecia Treatment Market: Competitive Landscape

Competitive landscape of a market explains strategies incorporated by key players of the market. Key developments and shift in management in the recent years by players has been explained through company profiling. This helps readers to understand the trends that will accelerate the growth of market. It also includes investment strategies, marketing strategies, and product development plans adopted by major players of the market. The market forecast will help readers make better investments.

Global Stem Cell Alopecia Treatment Market: Drivers and Restrains

This section of the report discusses various drivers and restrains that have shaped the global market. The detailed study of numerous drivers of the market enable readers to get a clear perspective of the market, which includes market environment, government policies, product innovations, breakthroughs, and market risks.

The research report also points out the myriad opportunities, challenges, and market barriers present in the Global Stem Cell Alopecia Treatment Market. The comprehensive nature of the information will help the reader determine and plan strategies to benefit from. Restrains, challenges, and market barriers also help the reader to understand how the company can prevent itself from facing downfall.

Global Stem Cell Alopecia Treatment Market: Segment Analysis

This section of the report includes segmentation such as application, product type, and end user. These segmentations aid in determining parts of market that will progress more than others. The segmentation analysis provides information about the key elements that are thriving the specific segments better than others. It helps readers to understand strategies to make sound investments. The Global Stem Cell Alopecia Treatment Market is segmented on the basis of product type, applications, and its end users.

Global Stem Cell Alopecia Treatment Market: Regional Analysis

This part of the report includes detailed information of the market in different regions. Each region offers different scope to the market as each region has different government policy and other factors. The regions included in the report are North America, South America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East. Information about different region helps the reader to understand global market better.

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Table of Content

1 Introduction of Stem Cell Alopecia Treatment Market

1.1 Overview of the Market 1.2 Scope of Report 1.3 Assumptions

2 Executive Summary

3 Research Methodology of Verified Market Research

3.1 Data Mining 3.2 Validation 3.3 Primary Interviews 3.4 List of Data Sources

4 Stem Cell Alopecia Treatment Market Outlook

4.1 Overview 4.2 Market Dynamics 4.2.1 Drivers 4.2.2 Restraints 4.2.3 Opportunities 4.3 Porters Five Force Model 4.4 Value Chain Analysis

5 Stem Cell Alopecia Treatment Market, By Deployment Model

5.1 Overview

6 Stem Cell Alopecia Treatment Market, By Solution

6.1 Overview

7 Stem Cell Alopecia Treatment Market, By Vertical

7.1 Overview

8 Stem Cell Alopecia Treatment Market, By Geography

8.1 Overview 8.2 North America 8.2.1 U.S. 8.2.2 Canada 8.2.3 Mexico 8.3 Europe 8.3.1 Germany 8.3.2 U.K. 8.3.3 France 8.3.4 Rest of Europe 8.4 Asia Pacific 8.4.1 China 8.4.2 Japan 8.4.3 India 8.4.4 Rest of Asia Pacific 8.5 Rest of the World 8.5.1 Latin America 8.5.2 Middle East

9 Stem Cell Alopecia Treatment Market Competitive Landscape

9.1 Overview 9.2 Company Market Ranking 9.3 Key Development Strategies

10 Company Profiles

10.1.1 Overview 10.1.2 Financial Performance 10.1.3 Product Outlook 10.1.4 Key Developments

11 Appendix

11.1 Related Research

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Highlights of Report

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Verified market research partners with clients to provide insight into strategic and growth analytics; data that help achieve business goals and targets. Our core values include trust, integrity, and authenticity for our clients.

Analysts with high expertise in data gathering and governance utilize industry techniques to collate and examine data at all stages. Our analysts are trained to combine modern data collection techniques, superior research methodology, subject expertise and years of collective experience to produce informative and accurate research reports.

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Stem Cell Alopecia Treatment Market 2020 Size, Share Metrics, Growth Trends and Forecast to 2026 - Pro News Time

Where Are They Now? Top 3 Biotech Startups From NextGen Bio Class of 2018 – BioSpace

Every year, BioSpace analyzes the biotech industry, looking for the hot new biotech startups to watch. We then produce the NextGen Bio Class of, twenty companies ranked based on several categories, including Finance, Collaborations, Pipeline, and Innovation. The companies were typically launched no more than 18 months before the list was created.

We thought it would be insightful to look back at our previous lists to see where some of those companies are today. Heres a look at the top three companies from the Top 20 Life Science Startups to Watch in 2018.

#1. BlueRock Therapeutics. Founded in 2016, BlueRock was #1 on our list of companies to watch in 2018. With facilities in Ontario, Canada; Cambridge, Massachusetts; and New York, New York, BlueRock launched in December 2016 with a $225 million Series A financing led by Bayer AG and Versant Ventures. The company focuses on cell therapies to regenerate heart muscle in patients who have had a heart attack or chronic heart failure, as well as therapies for patients with Parkinsons disease.

In October 2017, BlueRock and Seattle-based Universal Cells entered into a collaboration and license deal to create induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell lines that can be used in the manufacture of allogeneic cellular therapies. Shortly afterwards, the company established its corporate headquarters in Cambridge, and in April 2018, established a research-and-development hub in New York City, as well as formalizing a sponsored research collaboration with the Center for Stem Cell Biology at Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) Cancer Center. The collaboration focuses on translating Ketterings expertise in creating multiple types of authentic neural cells from stem cells to address diseases of the central and peripheral nervous system. BlueRock also received $1 million from the State of New York and Empire State Development under its economic development initiatives program.

In April 2019, BlueRock partnered with Editas Medicine (which was on BioSpaces NextGen Bio Class of 2015 list) to combine their genome editing and cell therapy technologies to focus on novel engineered cell medicines. Part of the deal was to collaborate on creating novel, allogeneic pluripotent cell lines using a combination of Editas CRISPR genome editing technology and BlueRocks iPSC platform.

And finally, in August 2019, Bayer AG acquired BlueRock for the remaining stake in the company for about $240 million in cash and an additional $360 million in pre-defined development milestones.

#2. Prelude Fertility. Prelude Fertility is a bit of an outlier from the typical BioSpace NextGen company, because it isnt quite a biopharma company. It is a life sciences company whose business model is aimed at in vitro fertilization and egg freezing. It was founded with a $200 million investment by entrepreneur Martin Varsavsky. The investment was in the largest in vitro fertilization clinic in the Southeast, Reproductive Biology Associates of Atlanta, and its affiliate, My Egg Bank, the largest frozen donor egg bank in the U.S.

Since then it has expanded in various parts of the country, including adding San Francisco-based Pacific Fertility Center (PFC) to its network in September 25, 2017; partnering with Houston Fertility Institute and acquiring Vivere Health; partnering with the Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago; and in October 2018, partnered with NYU Langone Health.

In March 2019, Prelude merged with Inception Fertility to establish the Prelude Network as the fastest-growing network of fertility clinics and largest provider of comprehensive fertility services in the U.S. Inception is acting as the parent company, with the Prelude Network, both having board representatives from the previous organizations.

#3. Relay Therapeutics. Ranking #3 on our list for 2018, Relay Therapeutics launched in September 2016 with a $57 million Series A financing led by Third Rock Ventures with participation form D.E. Shaw Research. On December 14, 2017, it closed on a Series B round worth $63 million, led by BVF Partners, with new investors GV (formerly Google Ventures), Casdin Capital, EcoR1 Capital and Section 32.

The company focuses on the relationship between protein motion and function. It merges computational power with structural biology, biophysics, chemistry and biology. In December 2018, the company completed a $400 million Series C financing. It was led by the SoftBank Vision fund and included additional new investors, Foresite Capital, Perceptive Advisors and Tavistock Group. Existing investors also participated.

The company announced at the time it planned to use the funds to accelerate the implementation of its long-term strategy, expanding its discovery efforts, advancing existing programs into the clinic and improving its platform.

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Highs and Lows of Stem Cell Therapies: Off- The-Shelf Solutions – P&T Community

NEW YORK, Jan. 7, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --

Report Includes: - An overview of recent advances in stem cell therapies and coverage of potential stem cells used for regenerative advanced therapies

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05835679/?utm_source=PRN

- Discussion on role of genomic and epigenomics manipulations in generating safe and effective treatment options - Identification of autologous and allogeneic cells and their usage in creating advanced therapy medical products (ATMPs) - Information on 3D cell culture and discussion on advances in gene editing and gene programming techniques such as CRIPSR/Cas9, TALEN, and ZINC fingers - Insights into commercial and regulatory landscape, and evaluation of challenges and opportunities for developing autologous and allogenic "off the shelf" solutions

Summary Stem cells are unique in their ability to divide and develop into different cell types that form tissues and organs in the body during development and growth.The stem cell's role is to repair impaired or depleted cells, tissues and organs in the body that are damaged by disease, injury, or normal wear and tear.

Stem cells are found in every organ, but are most abundant in bone marrow, where they help to restore the blood and immune system.

Stem cells may be derived from various sources, including - - Adult stem cells (ASCs): Derived from tissue after birth, these include bone marrow, brain, peripheral blood, skeletal muscle, skin, teeth, heat, gut, liver, ovarian epithelium and testis, as well as umbilical cord stem cells and blood. These cells are currently most widely used for cellbased therapies. Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), which are derived from bone marrow, can give rise to red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets, whereas mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are derived from the stroma and give rise to non-blood forming cells and tissues. - Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs): Derived from embryos, these include stems cell lines, aborted embryos or from miscarriages, unused in vitro fertilized embryos and cloned embryos. There are currently no clinically approved treatments for embryonic stem cells. - Inducible pluripotent stem cell (iPSCs): These are stem cells generated in the laboratory by reprogramming adult cells that have already differentiated into specific cells, such as liver cells. They are used either for research purposes (e.g., experimental medicine testing toxicity of new drugs) or are under research for potential future clinical use.

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Ethics of gene editing must be decided by each one of us – Mail and Guardian

COMMENT

Gene editing is an exciting area of scientific research. It allows scientist to use gene-editing tools, such as CRISPR, to alter the genetic sequence of an organisms cells, with a specific result in mind.This creates the potential to alter crops so that they are more nutritious, or alter a human beings genetic makeup to remove the potential of an individual to develop a particular disease. The latter has proved controversial, as this new ability that gene editing gives us to alter our genetic characteristics is unprecedented, and many regulatory frameworks do not specifically refer to gene editing and CRISPR.

With respect to the gene editing of a human, there is distinction between somatic gene editing, which will alter specific cells only in an existing person, and germline editing, which is gene editing performed on human eggs, sperm, or embryos. This is the area of heated debate, because while somatic gene editing will only affect a particular patient, germline editing will alter an embryos DNA in a manner which is heritable.

In this way, germline editing creates the potential of altering the genetic heritage of future people, an idea which ethicists, philosophers, lawmakers, scientists and others are not comfortable with. For this reason, while there are some somatic gene editing trials under way, there has been consensus that germline editing should not be done until the safety of gene editing has been demonstrated, and the ethical issues can be debated.

In November 2018, the Chinese scientist, He Jiankui, revealed to the world that he had successfully gene-edited human embryos. He spoke of his technological feat at the Second International Summit on Genome Editing in Hong Kong, where he presented his method of gene editing human embryos to attempt to create children who would be resistant to HIV infection. The research presented appeared to show that he had successfully gene-edited the human embryos, which were then implanted into a woman and carried to term.

The resulting children, twin girls referred to only by their pseudonyms Lulu and Nana appeared to be healthy and resistant to HIV infection. The gene editing was a success. But the news was met with international outcry, and calls for a moratorium to debate the issues inherent in the gene editing of human beings. Until this time, there had been no clinical application of gene editing to human embryos, because this is largely prohibited by ethics and legal guidelines around the world. He appeared to have had all of his paperwork in order ethical approval from his research institution to conduct the procedure and informed consent from couples willing to have their embryos genetically edited. But, according to the Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research Ethics Guiding Principles issued by Chinas ministry of science and technology and the ministry of health in 2003, human blastocysts that have been used for research cannot be implanted into the reproductive system of humans or any other animal. The genetic manipulation of human gametes, zygotes, and embryos for the purpose of reproduction is also prohibited.

So how did this failure of regulatory oversight happen? Whispers of He being placed under house arrest began to circulate. But what would ultimately happen to He, who had clearly broken the rules?

On December 30, a year after his revelation to the gene-editing summit, the world found out. He, together with two co-defendants, were sentenced in the Nanshan district peoples court in Shenzhen for the illegal practice of medicine. Immediately upon release of the news of the birth of the gene edited children in 2018, the Guangdong province immediately set up a gene editing baby incident investigation team. On July 31 last year, a public prosecution notice was filed in the Nanshan district peoples court. To protect the privacy of the individuals involved in the case, the court heard the case in private on December 27. The court held that the behaviour of He, together with Zhang Renli and Qin Jinzhou, embryologists who had worked with him, constituted the crime of illegal medical practice. He was sentenced to three years imprisonment and fined three million yuan, Zhang was sentenced to two years imprisonment and fined one million yuan and Qin was sentenced to one year and six months imprisonment and two years probation. The finding of the court was that the defendants had practiced medicine illegally, under the guise of scientific research and innovation.

The details which have now come to light are arguably more shocking than the news of the birth of the children in 2018.

The court learnt that in 2016, in order to realise his goal of being the first scientist to create the worlds first gene-edited baby, He had formulated a business plan for gene-edited babies and raised funds. In 2017, the defendants arranged for six couples to impersonate people awaiting ordinary assisted reproductive help. He later instructed Zhang and others to falsify the medical ethics approval that would be necessary to conduct the gene editing procedure. He also arranged for necessary reagent materials, which are prohibited for human diagnosis and treatment, to be purchased from outside the country. In August 2017, instructed by He, Zhang began injecting the gene-editing reagents into the fertilized eggs of six couples in violation of the Chinese regulations, and then took samples of the cultured blastocysts (early embryos) for inspection. He selected blastocysts and Zhang transplanted them into patients through an unsuspecting doctor. The result was that two women became pregnant. In 2018, one patient gave birth to twin baby girls, and in 2019, a second patient gave birth to a baby girl. The court also learnt that between May and June 2018, He and Qin had arranged for two more couples to travel to Thailand where he attempted to conduct the gene-editing and implantation procedure again. No pregnancies resulted from this endeavour.

The court held that the defendants had deliberately violated the rules to chase personal fame and fortune, and had opted deceptive and counterfeiting methods to maliciously evade the supervision of the national competent authority, and applied gene editing technology to assisted reproductive medicine.

The evidence also showed that when He obtained consent from the couples who underwent the procedure, he had described the technology as mature, safe and as having no risk. From a legal perspective, the consent of these patients was not informed as they had been given false information. The behaviour of the defendants, from the procuring of reagents, counselling of couples, screening and injecting of eggs, implantation and the resulting births also violated the boundaries of scientific experiments and should instead be regarded as medical behaviours. None of the defendants were licenced physicians and yet were still carrying out medical activities, which amount to the crime of illegal medical practice.

Will this judgment impede innovation in gene editing? It may not necessarily do so. This case will instead help to define the boundaries between what is legal and illegal, at least in China. What will follow now, is stricter oversight and more deliberation on the issues inherent in gene editing. China has already enacted several revisions to its existing laws. More countries will follow. The difficulty with developing a framework is that it will boil down to asking the difficult question: Who should decide what may be allowed and what should be prohibited? The prevailing opinion is that since gene editing will affect all of us, because it involves genetic manipulation of the human race, we should all be part of the conversation about its regulation.

Although this is a useful starting point, we must be mindful of cultural and other societal barriers. If the question being debated is what genetic conditions may be edited out of the human population, we must bear in mind that the answer will differ depending on the society to which we pose that question. A recent example is that of the Russian scientist, Denis Rebrikov, who in 2019 announced his intention to genetically edit human embryos to remove the genetic predisposition for deafness. If we are asked to consider whether deafness is a disease or disability, we may receive conflicting opinions.

The knee-jerk response to Rebrikovs announcement was that deafness is not a disease, not a disability, and that there is a societal structure to assist hearing impaired persons. Further, deafness has assimilated into culture, and to allow gene editing of embryos in a manner which results in deafness being removed from the human population does not speak well to the proponents view of persons who are hearing impaired. But Rebrikov has offered an argument in favour of gene editing deafness out of the population. In Russia, deafness is often associated with societal stigmatisation, and the hearing impaired do not necessarily enjoy the support mechanisms of those living in other countries.

This is just one example of one genetic condition, with a set of ethical issues attached to it. A debate on germline gene editing will require us to debate the ethical issues in relation to any disease or genetic condition to which gene editing may be applied.

Asking these questions in different societies, each with values and traditional, religious or cultural norms that may differ is going to create difficulties. Our DNA makes us similar, our traditions and cultures make us different. The regulation of gene editing is going to ask that we find a constructive way to harmonise the two. Lulu and Nana were the worlds first gene-edited babies. More will be born, but by that time the regulatory mechanisms will undoubtedly have changed.

Sheetal Soni is at the School of Law at the University of KwaZulu-Natal

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Ethics of gene editing must be decided by each one of us - Mail and Guardian

How These Practitioners Can Help with New Year, New You Goals – Milwaukee Magazine

This is a sponsored story

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Summerside gym needs donations for three-year-old boy with cancerous brain tumors – The Journal Pioneer

SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I.

A Summerside family are going through an unimaginable experience that has left them shaken to the core.

Matthew and Victoria Sara Kingyen grew concerned when their three-year-old son Camden woke to severe headaches, and one morning with vomiting, over a nine-day span before Christmas.

On Dec. 10 I decided to take Camden to see his family doctor, but her appointments were full for the day, so I took him to the emergency department in Summersides Prince County Hospital around 9 a.m., explained Victoria.

After an examination at the Prince County Hospital, it was decided Camden should have a CT Scan to hopefully rule out anything major.

But doctors had devasting news for the couple.

"Everyday we hope well wake up from this awful nightmare." - Victoria Sara Kingyen

We were told there was a mass cancerous tumour (Medulloblastoma) in his brain. A neurosurgeon at the IWK Health Centre in Halifax was notified and reviewed Camdens scan. They requested us to be at IWK as soon as possible, and we were transported by ambulance, arriving that evening at 6 p.m., she continued.

Camden had a 90-minute MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan at the IWK that revealed smaller tumors surrounding the large mass, including tumors all the way down his spine.

Brain surgery was required, and after chemotherapy.

His case is advanced and will require an aggressive treatment plan. We were all absolutely shocked at the news after the CT scan and then again after the MRI. Our life changed in an instant and now we are helping our beautiful baby boy fight for his life.

Everyday we hope well wake up from this awful nightmare. My husband Matt, owner of Advanced Builders Inc. in Summerside, will be travelling back and forth between P.E.I. and Halifax, and then to Toronto, while I stay with Camden at the hospitals, continued Victoria, who added Camdens older brother has been coping well so far from the separation.

Camden requires nine-weeks of chemotherapy treatment at the IWK, which started on Jan. 3.

After the treatment, if his body is responding, we will travel to the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto for an extra nine-weeks of what they call big chemotherapy.

During his first treatments at the IWK, Victoria and Camden will make two short trips to Toronto for stem cell harvesting. Stem cells will be harvested to essentially rescue his body from the chemotherapy as the doses increase.

Before Camden started chemotherapy, he had four surgeries over Christmas, said Victoria, who gave up work to take care of her son full-time.

Aaron Dawson, owner of Hustle Athletic Training Inc. in Summerside, is hosting a fundraiser called Push-ups for Cam to help support the family.

When I was at my former location, I was a personal trainer for Matt Kingyen, and his company called Advanced Builders Inc. did all the renovations of this gym and made Hustle what it is today. Victoria is also my bookkeeper here, Dawson explained his connection to the family.

I learned about their son a couple of weeks ago, and things have happened fairly quickly since then. It was a shock. I have three small kids of my own, they play with the Kingyen children, so it breaks your heart. I wanted to help the family in some way, he said.

Dawson is looking for pledges per push-up, which will take place at Hustle Athletic Training Inc.located at 465 Water Street in Summerside on Jan. 18 at 3 p.m.

You can pledge $1 per push-up, so if I end up doing 200 push-ups in the hour, you owe $200. Its totally up to you how much you pledge it could even be 1 cent, he said.

Hustle Athletic Training Inc. will collect pledge donations after the event that's open to the public and will be filmed live on the gyms Facebook page.

To learn more visit, facebook.com/HustleAthleticTrainingPEI or call Aaron Dawson on, 902-315-1950.

Pledge forms can be downloaded here.

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Summerside gym needs donations for three-year-old boy with cancerous brain tumors - The Journal Pioneer

West Norwood girl, 3, dies in her parents’ arms after brave battle with leukaemia – MyLondon

An inspirational young girl from South London who bravely battled leukaemia for 18 months has died.

Esme Handley, 3, was diagnosed with high risk acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) while on holiday in Greece in June 2018.

The courageous toddler, who lived in West Norwood with her parents Will and Rebecca, underwent extensive treatment after more than 400,000 was raised through donations.

But Esme's condition deteriorated in recent months and she died in her parents' arms on New Year's Day.

Writing on her Facebook page , called Esme Lion Heart, Will and Rebecca said: "If you look to the sky tonight you will see a star shining brighter than any other.

"Our darling girl went onwards with her journey at midday [on January 1]. She was peaceful and in our arms and knew how ridiculously adored she was."

Esme was just 22 months old when her parents were given the heartbreaking news that she had leukaemia.

They became concerned with some bruising on her body after a fall, and after being told the news by doctors spent the second night of the holiday "in tears".

Esme's blood tests were examined at a regional hospital, which led to the diagnosis.

On what would have been the third day of the holiday, the family flew back to London and went straight to King's College Hospital, where doctors confirmed Esme had AML.

Esme, who loved lions, narwhals and playing hide and seek outside, was then transferred to the Royal Marsden, where she spent five months as an in-patient. In September 2018 she received a stem cell transplant, after three rounds of intense chemotherapy.

In November 2018, Esme was told she could go home, to the delight of her family. But in April last year, after six months ofrecovering, the family were told the leukaemia had returned.

In November, Will and Rebecca were told Esme only had a matter of weeks to live after being told the leukaemia was "out of control".

The family spent the last weeks of Esme's life at the Royal Marsden.

Before Esme died and in a bid to fund a second stem cell transplant which was not eligible on the NHS, the family set up a gofundme page to fund the 500,000 needed for the private treatment.

The page has raised 428,000 from over 10,000 donations, and was the biggest appeal created in 2019 in the UK, according to gofundme.

Will and Rebecca are now determined to build a lasting legacy foundation in Esme's name and say any unspent money will be donated to The Children's Cancer and Leukaemia Group.

"Given how desperately poor the funding is into paediatric AML research, we feel even more strongly about this now," Esme's parents said.

"So a large chunk of the cash we have remaining (after spending some on novel drugs and supportive care) will be donated to AML research to try and spare future families the pain and anguish we have experienced.

"Our darling little girl, however, was SO, SO much more than cancer and we owe it to her to ensure she isnt forgotten.

"Therefore, we are going to increase our fundraising target so in time we can create some kind of legacy foundation in Esme's name. If our story has touched you, please help us to achieve this by donating or simply sharing far and wide."

Although Esme spent Christmas in hospital, she was still treated to a number of special trips.

Having been bed-ridden for nearly three months, she was taken out of her room in her pushchair and visited the Christmas trees around the hospital, taking baubles for her own tree.

Esme saw the Christmas lights in Morden and was treated to a private screening of Frozen 2 at Everyman Esher, complete with Elsa and Anna impersonators who sang to Esme.

The family also had puppet theatre performers, therapy dogs and ZooLabs collection of creepy crawlies and rodents visit Esme's room.

Will and Rebecca have understandably been left heartbroken by their only daughters death.

"We gave up everything to get Esme through this," said Will.

"Childhood cancer has quite literally become our entire life - we know nothing else.

"Weve lived in total isolation, not really going anywhere or seeing anyone since June 2018 - so the thought of the future, let alone a future without Esme, feels very uncertain, very lonely and very bleak."

To visit the gofundme page go to http://www.gofundme.com/help-2-year-old-esme-cure-her-leukaemia .

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Got a story? Email samuel.truelove@reachplc.com.

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West Norwood girl, 3, dies in her parents' arms after brave battle with leukaemia - MyLondon

The woman who spent 7 years in and out of hospital battling rare condition some doctors had never seen – Leicestershire Live

When Allison Shatford was diagnosed with aplastic anemia in 1984 she was given just a 20 per cent chance of survival.

Before her diagnosis, the now 58-year-old described having headaches, bruising, prolonged periods and lethargy.

Eventually it became too much and she was taken to the Leicester Royal Infirmary (LRI) when she was just 23-years-old.

That's when she was given her diagnosis, two years after she first noticed that something might be wrong.

She spent seven years in and out of hospital before doctors gave her another shot at life.

Now, 28 years since her life-saving procedure Alison has written a book about the "frightening" experience.

"I can remember when I was in Florida with my friend and I could not stop bleeding, it was traumatic and that was two years before I was taken into hospital," she said.

"My bone marrow had completely shut down, it didn't make any red blood cells, plasma or oxygen.

"For the next seven years from the age of 23 I was dependant on the blood and platelet donors three times a week for seven years.

"As a young person at 23 my life was taken by this, but I fought it, I never wanted to die."

In her book she said that doctors told her she was only the 13th person to be diagnosed with aplastic anemia after she underwent a series of bone marrow tests.

Aplastic anemia is a serious condition that affects the blood and can happen suddenly.

It is also called bone marrow failure.

Essentially, the condition means that the bone marrow and stem cells don't produce enough blood cells.

There are three types of blood cell: red, white and platelets.

Red blood cells carry a protein called haemoglobin which carry oxygen around the body.

White blood cells help to fight bacterial infections and viruses.

Platelets help blood to clot.

There are multiple symptoms of aplastic anemia, they are: Fatigue, shortness of breath, rapid or irregular heart rate, pale skin, frequent or prolonged infections, unexplained bruising, nosebleeds and bleeding gums, prolonged bleeding from cuts, rashes, dizziness and headaches.

The condition is normally found withing children and adults over the age of 60.

According to the NHS the best form of treatment is a bone marrow transplant - without treatment the condition can be fatal.

Alison had hormone procedures in order to treat the condition, and she said that doctors at the LRI told her they had never seen anything like it.

She said that from 1984 to 1991 she was constantly in and out of the LRI as well as Hammersmith Hospital in London who were helping with treatment.

"I had a hormone procedure mainly used for aplastic anemia and that made me so much more poorly, I was desperate.

"Six months later I had the second course, the treatment involved hormones from horses and rabbits.

"Everyone would bring me carrots, lettuce and apples," she laughed.

"One week before my 30th birthday the doctors said 'Alison it doesn't look good.'

"Leukemia cells had been laying dormant now they had woken up - I had aplastic anemia and luekemia."

She said the medical professionals said that she had one chance and that was a bone marrow transplant.

After testing members of her family for a potential bone marrow donor, her sister Annette was found to be a match.

"It was so unbelievable it was like looking through a haystack to find a needle, that's how rare it was," she said.

"My sister was a match, she was always on the plane coming backwards and forwards for tests; she lived in Ireland.

"I was given a 20 per cent chance of survival before I travelled to hospital for treatment.

Alison said that she started to get her finances in check and had planned her own funeral because she did not want to burden her family in case she didn't come home.

Fortunately after the transplant and extensive chemotherapy, Alison survived.

"In 1991 they said 'expect to be in there for about 15 weeks'.

"After 4 weeks I came home," she said.

"The only set back I had was in the February when I got pneumonia and that was the only time I couldn't control my own body, I was given morphine that knocked me out, but I'm still here."

Allison also had a stroke seven years ago, but again survived after having a blood clot removed before it reached her brain.

The 58-year-old former carer from Oadby now owns and runs a shop on Welford Road called Alison's Bits & Bobs.

From that shop she has helped to raise over 2000 for charities such as the Anthony Nolan trust.

She has also now written a book about her life.

"I have had my shop here for two years and have given 2000 already.

"I've walked Ben Nevis, sky dived you name it, I've done it.

"I have a portfolio on my shop window of all the media cuttings from 1991.

"In the first piece that was published I said I would write a book, so I did.

"I started writing it in February in my shop and it took me four weeks, I'm delighted with the book."

The book is filled with her memoirs that detail her struggles throughout her life in great depth.

The money made from sales of the 500 copies she has had printed will be donated to the LRI Haematology ward, Hammersmith Hospital and the Anthony Nolan Trust.

Alison lives with an unrivaled sense of positivity despite her ordeals in life.

"I love it here, I can educate and talk and listen to everyone.

"I think everyone deserves a shot at life, I'm still here, I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

"I just want to give people hope and strength to get through like I did and that's all I can ask for."

You can purchase of a copy of Alison's book at her shop in Welford Road for 14.99.

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The woman who spent 7 years in and out of hospital battling rare condition some doctors had never seen - Leicestershire Live

DuPont, C8 Contamination And The Community Left To Grapple With The Consequences – WVXU

Tommy Joyce is no cinephile. The last movie he saw in a theater was the remake of True Grit nearly a decade ago. "I'd rather watch squirrels run in the woods" than sit through most of what appears on the big screen, he said.

But there's a film that opened Dec. 5 at the Regal Cinemas at Grand Central Mall that's attracting a lot of attention in his community. Dark Waters a legal thriller starring Mark Ruffalo, with a script inspired by a 2016 New York Times article tells the epic story of the DuPont corporation's failure to inform residents of the Mid-Ohio Valley of the considerable health risks of a perfluoroalkyl substance [PFAS] called perfluorooctanoic acid, or C8, for its chain of eight carbons.

The chemical was used in DuPont's production of Teflon and other household products at its Washington Works facility just outside Parkersburg, along the Ohio River. C8 is found in nonstick pans, waterproof clothing, stain-resistant carpets, microwave popcorn bags, fast-food wrappers and hundreds of other products. According to a 2007 study, C8 is in the blood of 99.7% of Americans. It's called a "forever chemical" because it never fully degrades.

DuPont had been aware since at least the 1960s that C8 was toxic in animals and since the 1970s that there were high concentrations of it in the blood of its factory workers. DuPont scientists were aware in the early 1990s of links to cancerous tumors from C8 exposure. But company executives failed to inform the Environmental Protection Agency [EPA] or the public.

Joyce graduated from Parkersburg High School in 1992, went off and earned three degrees and came home. He now serves as mayor of the city of Parkersburg population: 30,000.

Joyce said he's heard more about his community's long struggle with corporate environmental malfeasance in the past few weeks than in his previous two and a half years in office. He attributes this to the release of Dark Waters.

Even David-and-Goliath tales often have complicated backstories, and Joyce knows well that such is the case with Parkersburg and DuPont. "DuPont has been in the Ohio Valley for 70-plus years, and has been a tremendous employer," he said. "Without question, DuPont was the place to work in the Mid-Ohio Valley for a lot of years." Many of his classmates grew up in DuPont families.

Though Chemours, a spinoff company of DuPont, now operates the Washington Works plant, DuPont maintains a presence in the community. A DuPont spokesperson provided an overview of its financial and volunteer support initiatives and wrote that the company supports programs and organizations focused on revitalizing neighborhoods and enhancing quality of life; STEM-related initiatives in local schools; and "initiatives that help protect the environment through clean-up or restoration efforts and allow for DuPont Washington Works to show we are a leader in minimizing our environmental footprint within the community."

Parkersburg, said Doug Higgs, is the kind of town where everybody knows everybody. Higgs graduated from Parkersburg High a year after Joyce, and Joyce's mother, Barbara, taught him Sunday school.

"Everybody knows everybody's business," Higgs said, but nobody talked about C8. It was a matter of "not wanting to bite the hand that fed you."

Well-paying jobs, great benefits, Little League sponsorships, investments in the arts but at a cost. The hand that fed did clench.

Higgs, now an emergency room physician living in Richmond, Virginia, recalls returning from road trips with his family asleep in the back seat, awakened as they approached home by the familiar waft of chemicals.

Two of the Higgs' most immediate neighbors died in their early 50s of renal cell cancer. Higgs' father has ulcerative colitis, and his brother received treatment for polycystic kidney disease in high school.

"We all have stories of friends and family, neighbors, dying too young or being diagnosed with various medical problems," Higgs said.

He knows, of course, the distinction between correlation and causation. But the high incidence of a range of diseases has staggered this community. It's unfair, Higgs said, that a community should have to perpetually ask what exactly it has been exposed to, and where and when the consequences will end.

The Old 'Hey-Look-Over-Here'

DuPont's own documentation specified that C8 was not to be flushed into surface waters, but the company did so for decades. The chemical seeped into the water supplies of the communities of Lubeck and Little Hocking, immediately west of Parkersburg, and the city of Belpre, Ohio, just across the river; and three other water systems.

In 2004, DuPont paid $70 million in a class-action lawsuit and agreed to install filtration plants in the affected water districts. In 2005, it reached a $16.5 million settlement with the EPA for violations of the Toxic Substances Control Act.

A collective decision was made to use the money won in the class-action suit to conduct an epidemiological study in which nearly 70,000 of the 80,000 plaintiffs stopped into one of six clinics set up throughout the community, provided their medical histories and offered their blood. They were each paid $400.

A science panel, comprised of public health scientists appointed by DuPont and lawyers representing the community, was convened to examine the immense database. In 2012, after seven years of study, the panel released a report documenting a probable link between C8 and six conditions: testicular cancer, kidney cancer, thyroid disease, ulcerative colitis, pregnancy-induced hypertension and high cholesterol.

In 2015, DuPont spun off its chemical division into a new company called Chemours, which now occupies the Washington Works facility on the Ohio. In 2017, DuPont and Chemours agreed to pay $671 million to settle some 3,500 pending lawsuits.

"You grew up with the fear of DuPont leaving town," said Ben Hawkins. Hawkins was student body president of the Parkersburg High class of 1993. He remembers DuPont's participation in his school's Partners in Education program and riding in parades on DuPont-sponsored floats.

Among Hawkins' classmates who have been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer was Mike Cox, a local dentist. Cox, Hawkins and Higgs were among a pack of guys who ran together in high school and stayed close after. Cox was a big Ozzy Osbourne fan, and after a grueling regimen of chemo, Hawkins helped arrange backstage passes to a concert, where Osbourne pulled Cox near and shared his own family's experience with cancer. Post-diagnosis, Cox had begun performing stand-up comedy routines that incorporated flute solos. He died Jan. 28, 2017, at the age of 41, a father of three.

Hawkins, who now lives in the Washington, D.C., area, views his Partners in Education experiences somewhat differently today: "It wasn't a partnership; it was a page from a public relations playbook. It was the old 'hey-look-over-here!' move to keep the Teflon dollars flowing into their bank account."

His classmate Beth Radmanesh has similar cynical recollections of DuPont's role in her childhood. Radmanesh grew up less than a mile from the Washington Works plant. Today, she has high cholesterol. Her dad suffers from discoid lupus, causing sores the size of 50-cent pieces on his forehead. Her brother has lupus and had colon cancer, and her sister-in-law has also been diagnosed with lupus.

But Radmanesh said her mom is a proponent of bringing another controversial industry to the valley: fracking for natural gas. "I said to her, 'We've already had our water contaminated once. Do you want your water [to be] flammable? Because that's what will happen.' " Her mom's response was, "'Oh, Beth.' That's it. 'Oh, Beth.' "

A 'Weird Mix'

Joe and Darlene Kiger live just a few miles from where Radmanesh grew up. Joe, a physical education teacher, is now quite well known in the community for having raised awareness of the dangers of C8 called "the devil's piss" by some in local water supplies. He and his wife, Darlene, joined the class-action suit that was settled in 2004.

Darlene said that when she and Joe are out around town, "there are a lot of whispers behind your back. They don't know what to say." The experience has taken a toll "these people all looking at you as bringing this on them," Joe said but they've never considered leaving. "Why would you leave the fight?" he said. "What would it look like if we packed up?"

There's a lot, Joe said, that DuPont hasn't yet been held accountable for. Earlier this year, Chemours was cited by the EPA for the unregulated release of new chemical compounds from its West Virginia and North Carolina facilities. "I'm not done yet," Joe said.

Harry Deitzler served as a lead attorney, among others, in representing the Kigers and tens of thousands of others in the class-action suit. Deitzler was the architect of the decision to use the $70 million to conduct the study.

"Parkersburg adopted me in 1975," Deitzler said of his arrival in town. He'd come for a summer internship in the prosecuting attorney's office. The position didn't pay enough to cover his room and board, so he took a job in a bar called Friar Tuck's.

"By the end of the summer, the community was my family," Deitzler said. "I asked the prosecutor if he'd hire me as an assistant the next year, and he said, 'Sure; you'll get $6,000 a year.' And I said, 'That'll be great.'"

"Most people thought I was a recovering alcoholic because I never drank a beer, because I couldn't afford to buy one." Three years later, at 27, he was appointed as prosecuting attorney. "Such a wonderful, accepting community."

But, some three decades later, there was a price to pay for taking on DuPont.

"There was a misperception that we were trying to put DuPont out of business, and, of course, that was created intentionally by the people in Wilmington," Deitzler said, referring to DuPont's Delaware headquarters. "When you have a community of that size, and you've got several thousand people employed there, and multiply that by the families and their relatives it's very upsetting." Some folks were unsure of what to make of Deitzler.

Longtime resident Nancy Roettger characterizes the community's reaction to the revelation of what DuPont had done as a "weird mix."

"There were women that immediately went out and changed their frying pans," Roettger said. But a lot of those same people decided "that Harry Deitzler is a horrible person" for his role in exposing DuPont.

"It's like, they don't want that frying pan anymore," she said, "but they don't want anything negative, and they're very resentful of the people that stirred up the trouble."

Less Than Idyllic In Retrospect

Candace Jones, a neighbor and longtime friend of Roettger's, said she hates the perception that the community has been divided between the DuPonters and everyone else.

"We're a community and we all need each other," Jones said. "I think it's terrible, absolutely horrendous what happened because of decisions made for monetary gain. But I don't believe we can blame the everyday worker." Her father-in-law worked in the Teflon division. "He just went to work every day; he provided for [his family]."

Jones' friend Janet Ray's husband passed away 16 years ago from pancreatic cancer. He worked for BorgWarner, a manufacturing company on the river. There are about a dozen houses along Ray's street in Vienna, a Parkersburg suburb, "and I think just about every house during the time I've lived on the street has been affected by cancer."

Ray said she sometimes feels guilty, thinking that perhaps the livelihood her family has enjoyed as a result of her husband's employment might have caused health problems for others. "I certainly hope it didn't."

Tracy Danzey was raised in the quiet of Vienna, there with the Rays, the Joneses, the Higgs family. She now lives on the other side of the state, in West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle. Danzey was a competitive swimmer growing up. When not competing, "we were on the river we were playing in the creeks. I was always in the water."

"It's hard to look back at that time now and see it as idyllic," Danzey said.

At age 20, her thyroid began malfunctioning. Five years later, the socket of her hip shattered while running with her husband. She was diagnosed with an atypical form of bone cancer in her right hip. Her hip and leg had to be amputated; she underwent 18 months of high-dose chemotherapy.

Six leading pathologists from across the country were unable to identify the specific type of cancer. "They said it's very pathologically unusual." Research has indicated to Danzey, who's a nurse, that pathologically unusual cancers are not uncommonly associated with industrial poisonings.

Danzey's stepfather is retired from DuPont and her stepbrother works on the Teflon line. "Yes, it is complicated," her mother, Carolyn Tracewell, said. When her kids were growing up, when someone was hired at DuPont, "therewas a celebration" the good pay, the benefits, "and they did treat their employees well."

But "my heart hurts," Tracewell said, to think that her daughter's illnesses might be a consequence of all that.

Danzey said her mom "mostly just feels pain for me," worries about her stepson and is anxious about the future. Her stepfather wonders if one day his pension check will no longer arrive as a result of all the financial fallout.

None of them argue with Tracy about the source of her illnesses. "They know what happened." They allow her "to sit in this truth regardless of how it affects them." That means a lot.

Danzey is among those who believe that in regard to perceptions of DuPont in the Parkersburg community, there's a generational divide: Those in their 40s and younger tend to hold a less charitable view than baby boomers and their parents.

There likewise appears to be a generational divide in willingness to drink the water, despite the filtration installed as a result of the settlement.

On the September Saturday afternoon of the annual Parkersburg Paddlefest, kayaker Travis Hewitt, 31, stood ashore of the point where the Ohio meets the Little Kanawha and said that few people he knows truly believe the water's safe. Sure, he paddles in it, but "I try not to get it on me" and never swims in it. He has a filter installed in his kitchen.

Home

Tommy Joyce, the mayor of Parkersburg, is bullish on West Virginia: "We've got enough coal to light the world, gas to heat the world and brains to run the world."

Fellow Parkersburg High grad Brian Flinn, an engineer, worked for DuPont for eight and a half years; he worked with the raw materials of Teflon. He's seen both sides. He's heard, "If DuPont leaves, we're done. This area will be like most other towns in West Virginia; it'll collapse." He's also aware of the inherent dangers in living within the shadow of the chemical industry. So the sentiment goes, he said, "You take the good with the bad, right?"

But Danzey is unwilling. "I love West Virginia," she said. "I really do. I love this state. I don't want to be anywhere else." But she wants better for West Virginians. Industries come into their communities, do well for a while, "screw up the environment and then leave."

"It's time for something new in West Virginia," she said. "It's time for us to expect more."

Pondering that future keeps Ben Hawkins up at night. "What's next? What's next for the community, and where does this end? Or does it? What sort of positivity can come to that community? They need it and they deserve it."

Hawkins asks this: Think about how loyal the people of the Parkersburg community have been to DuPont. What if they had the opportunity to extend that same loyalty to a company that's equally invested in the economic, physical and emotional health of the community?

"That's home and always will be home," Hawkins said of Parkersburg. "We came from that community and that community did a lot to shape us. We all want the best for that community whatever form that can take."

Taylor Sisk, a Nashville-based healthcare reporter, authored this story for 100 Days in Appalachia. He can be reached at wtsisk1@gmail.com.

Good River: Stories of the Ohio is a series about the environment, economy and culture of the Ohio River watershed, produced by seven nonprofit newsrooms. To see more, please visit ohiowatershed.org

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DuPont, C8 Contamination And The Community Left To Grapple With The Consequences - WVXU