[Save Tracy!] A sad story @ Cambridge, Boston, MA, USA
I had a nice trip to Boston for a Brain research conference. However, I feel sad on the bus back to New York, even got my eyes wet – because of the sad story of Ms. Tracy Roberts (Tracy authorized me to release her personal information to public for possible help), a poor, homeless, low SES lady who suffered from severe depression and had 5 suicide attempts.
[I would like to first declare that I am a human, kind of “social activist”, but more important, a serious researcher! My h-index is 21, being cited for 1884 times (http://scholar.google.com/citations?user=lJQ9B58AAAAJ)]. I created leading R-fMRI software (DPARSF and DPABI), free online R-fMRI course, The R-fMRI Network (rfmri.org) for supporting R-fMRI related studies, Preprints of the R-fMRI Network (PRN) for pushing the field follow the arxiv.org model. My current major work is integrating R-fMRI and electrophysiology to understand the underlying mechanism of R-fMRI signals and “functional connectivity” (e.g., http://rfmri.org/MoLFF).
On 8pm September 11th, 2014, I went to the CVS pharmacy at Central Square, Cambridge, Boston, MA. While I am waiting for the pharmacist, an old lady saw my badge of the brain research conference. Then she asked me: “Are you a brain scientist? Do you know basal ganglia?”
I am surprised that this terminology came out from a poor old lady, seems low SES and not well-educated. I said: “Yes, I know. According to my understanding, the basal ganglia is very important in regulating motor activities. How do you know such a word?”
She replied: “I have a basal ganglia damage, thus I walk in this way.” She demonstrated her limp with her hands swinging.
The pharmacist is ready for my question, Tracy just asked me: “Doctor, please do not leave, I want to ask you several questions”.
I replied: “Well, I am a Ph.D., not a real doctor (M.D.), but I will stay for your questions.”
She was talking to pharmacist, however, the pharmacist yelled on her, as she didn’t have insurance, and I guess she didn’t have prescription.
Tracy then turned to me:” I got basal ganglia damage because of drug overdose. I once went to the emergency room and got Oxcontin, and then took Cuaxdon at home, thus I got such a situation.”
I don’t know these two drugs, as you can imagine as a Ph.D., I googled them. Then ask:” why did you take those drugs? They are not safe.”
“Because I suffered from psychological pain, I am severely depressed.”
“The anti-depression medicines don’t work for you?”
“No, they don’t work. I don’t know what I can do, as the doctors gave me up.”
As a Research Scientist, I know there are some clinical trials using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and deep brain stimulation (DBS) to treat treatment-resistant depression.
Then I told Tracy these two possibilities.
Tracy was very excited, she said:” How can I find them? I have performed suicide for 5 times, I really hope I can find a hope!”
This is a really difficult question. I said: “I am a Ph.D., not a M.D., the most I can help you, is I will try my best to reach Dr. F, who is a leading scientist using TMS to treat treatment-resistant depression, and he is a good guy. I can write an email to him to see if there is any possibility that you can become his experiment volunteer or even participant his clinical trial.”
She said: ”That’s wonderful, I want to be a specimen! This may help me, and even help other depression patients!”
The pharmacist doesn’t feel good we were talking in the CVS, and yelled:” is everything OK?”
Then I talked to Tracy: “Let’s find a place to sit down and I will write an email.”
We went out the CVS, and find a seat at a bus stop. I started to draft an email on my iPad.
Clearly, Tracy is not well educated and is a little rude, she started smoke, and have lots of F* words -- cause some homeless were laughing at her. However, Tracy tried her best to be polite to me, I think that’s because I am the only one who is willing to sit down and listen to her for a long time.
I asked: “do you have an email?”
“Yes, but I forgot the password.”
“I will apply one for you then. What kind of username you want?”
“Tracyisfree.”
I said: “No, I can not cc this kind of email to Dr. F, as this is on my reputation also. I will apply a new email address as TracyCambridgeMA@gmail.com for you.”
She agreed, and I set up the email account on her smartphone – yes, she does have a smartphone, running on an inexpensive carrier.
Then I wrote this email:
TMS on depression
Dear Dr. F,
I just met the lady, Ms. Tracy Roberts, at a pharmacy, central square, Cambridge, MA. She is suffering drug resistant depression -- and suffered from basal ganglia damage. I know you are working on TMS treatment based on the interaction between surface and deep brain structures.
Ms. Roberts, is in a low SES, but she may be unique to your study for the interaction and is wiling to be a volunteer.
I am not sure how you can help her or she may be helpful for your studies. But, I just talked with her and see her suffering, thus I just wanted to ping you to see if there is anything can happen to her, as this is your expertise and Cambridge community.
If possible, I think Ms. Roberts will greatly appreciate if you can give her any hints to enter into any experiments or clinical trials. That's a possibility she may be a good catalyst for the TMS depression studies (although I will view that is p < 0.05).
Tracy can be reached by this cced email or 603 261 1629
Sorry for spamming you, may be I will talk with you during the conference.
Thanks,
Chao-Gan
[The second day, Dr. F did reply that no trials she would currently qualify for, but she could potentially be treated as part of their clinical TMS program at B.I. She would need a referral documenting prior failed drug trials. It's covered by most insurance programs and they do have financial aid. She can call the clinic at tel: xxxx for more info.]
After writing the email, I told Tracy: “Dr. F may not reply, but this is the best I can help you. I really hope there is something good can happen to your life.”
Tracy said: “There are so many years nobody wanted to listen to me, and you even sit down with me and write an email, you are the pipe of God!”
I said: “I don’t understand what does “pipe of God” mean, and I am not religious. But may god bless you!”
The last thing I told Tracy: “Please don’t lose your hope to life, then your life doesn’t lose hope to you!”
Sadly, I can not do more as a Ph.D., I feel week and forceless! As a human, I can not help another human on street.
On September 13th, Dr. I, the director of National Institute of Mental Health, gave a talk on turning brain connectomes into biomarkers. That’s a great talk, and mentioned the sorry part of depression, suicide, and the expensive medication system. On his last slide of PPT:
RESEARCH = HOPE!
I can’t help myself from telling the sad story of Tracy and asking a question, although I understand that is not quite appropriate in a scientific meeting. The session chair interrupted me twice, but luckily I was able to present Tracy’s sad story and ask a question in 40 seconds. The question is “How can we, the brain research community, help a homeless, not insured, but severely depressed poor lady?” Dr. I made a very thoughtful reply.
Obviously, I agree that poverty is really another issue, thus why President Obama’s ObamaCare may help lots of people! Also, the science we are doing, in the future, may help more people, and prevent people drop into a situation like Tracy.
Now, I am back to New York, I can not do anymore to help Tracy. But I really hope the community of Cambridge, Boston, MA, USA can help her. Especially, the MIT community.
Dear MITers,
You may not know me, but you may aware these two posters.
I am sorry for spamming your campus with these childish posters, especially screen.projecter.mitlib.statacenter.mit.edu. Let’s skip google, but try our best to help Tracy!
A small help, even just stop and listen to her, will make a change to her life. At least, more possible to prevent her from her 6th attempt of suicide. She can be reached at TracyCambridgeMA@gmail.com or Tel: (603) 261-1629.
And my dear friends, I appreciate that you can bear with this long blog, and if you ever read to this part, please click “share”, that can make a change to Tracy’s life! According to the “Small-World” theory, the steps between Tracy and President Obama is only 6! Thus your “share” may really Save Tracy!
In Chinese, we say: 救人一命，胜造七级浮屠!
Save Tracy, please!
This is the most I can do for helping Tracy, I do feel forceless, powerless, and weak as a Ph.D.
Ok, I have to stop now, I got my eyes wet. Yes, you guess write, I did kind of cried.
Bye
Chao-Gan Yan, a Ph.D., not a real doctor (M.D.), but a human
