May 2007, Volume 4 Issue 2

Aware for All panelists share firsthand looks at clinical research

At AWARE for All - Dallas on March 31, 2007, a panel of participants described their personal experiences with clinical research. Below are the stories of two of the panelists, Becky Teel and Jean Burns.

Just hours after her son, Brennen, 6, was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia, Becky Teel made a decision that would change their lives forever. Teel opted to enroll her son in an experimental study that would pit his illness against the same powerful drugs as conventional chemotherapy, but use them in different sequences and combinations.

Aware for All – Dallas panelist Becky Teel with her sons (from l) Justin, 29, Brennen, 25, and Preston, 27.

Believing the regimen would give Brennen his best shot at beating the disease, Teel pushed her son to persevere through rounds of treatment and days of vomiting that followed. Three years later, with Brennen in remission, Teel signed him up for a second study on the effects of cancer treatment on children's growth. Now 25 and a 6' Texas Tech undergraduate, Brennen continues to allow researchers to track the growth of his body, mind and spirit. Like thousands of "Everyday Heroes" each year, Becky Teel showed support for clinical research by enrolling her child in a clinical trial. The decision helped Teel unleash a powerful ally in the battle against Brennen's illness, and made her a believer in the importance of clinical research.

"The comfort I got from working with a team of people who were sympathetic, empathetic and driven to help was enormous," recalls Teel. "They were like another family to me, and they put us at the cutting edge of research."

Jean Burns of Arizona enrolled in a Phase II/III clinical trial shortly after being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease at the age of 51. The graphic designer and former software trainer hoped the experimental drug CEP-1347 would stop the progression of her disease and put her at the forefront of treatment. It didn't happen that way.

Two years after Burns enrolled, the study was halted because CEP-1347 didn't work. Despite her disappointment, Burns continues to speak out on clinical research's potential for creating a brighter future.

"If the drug had worked, it would have helped me and other people," Burns relates. "Less than one percent of people with Parkinson's disease participate in clinical trials, but if nobody does it, we'll never succeed. I really hoped it would work."

The hope that clinical research holds prompted Becky Teel to enroll Brennen in a clinical trial and Teel now believes her dream came true. "The value we received was greater than any potential risk," she says. "I would do it again in a heartbeat."

To view other articles in this issue, click here.