A Tribute to Dr. Vincent Felitti [20 min -- The California Endowment]

Great tribute and a mini digest of many other presentation on ACEs. Still a long road ahead.

Of resent, I transported a 21 year old patient suffering from what I thought was a stress  seizure. The mother road in the ambulance with her daughter. I discussed the possible cause of the seizure through the ACE survey. She shied from the possibility of the survey having any relevance. 

Now weeks later, the mother and I cross paths. She is excited to tell me that the trauma survey was not relevant and the seizure was caused by Serotonin syndrome. This is a condition where by serotonin levels are dangerously high and cause muscles to seize up.  It can cause death. The ER diagnosed it in 15 minutes and treated the young woman successful. Cause of this condition is from antidepressants. She was released after 4 or 5 days. The Dr.S at the hospital told the mother the condition is rare but on the increase. http://www.mayoclinic.org/dise...inition/con-20028946 

Since this was my third stress seizure I transported in a short period of time, I was excited to learn the induced cause. The other two female patients that suffer from stress seizures were sexually abused as children and now on antidepressants .  I bit my tung because I wanted to ask the mom why do you think your daughter is taking antidepressants. 

I agree, Jane.  And I think that social media could help but you might have to educate some of us about how to use it.  Could the Berkeley Media Group help?

Also I met a local lobbyist who wants to volunteer her services locally.  And there is someone who has done marketing and advertising for years in Sacramento and is starting a new firm to focus on nonprofits. I will be gone for 10 days and will be in touch in early July.

Thanks to Robert Olcott for pointing out that WHO uses a modified version of ACES.

And to Tina Hahn, I am forwarding the video to every doctor and therapist that I know in the country. 

The California History Museum has a Hall of Fame that any of us could nominate Dr. Felitti for.

I think the ACEs community -- or perhaps different sectors in the ACEs community -- can identify the award that they would like to see Dr. Felitti and Dr. Anda receive, and then investigate what it takes to nominate them for that award, and to build support for them to receive the award. Maybe social media fits into that last part or maybe it doesn't; I expect it depends on the award.

Whatever honor is chosen, then use Tina's idea of tweeting that could assist in gaining some momentum.  

Jane, what do you think?!

Agree with Barbara's comment and question. Think Nobel prize out of question, but what other suitable nominations  are there, particularly in the US? And to include Dr Robert Anda, as they were both involved.

We may do well to note the point that the World Health Organization "adopted" the ACE screening tool, and used a modified version in its 2013 assessment of the world's healthiest children. Doctors Felitti and Anda certainly merit credit for its "development/discovery".

Kathy Brous posted:

How do we organize a Twitter campaign for this nomination?

Everybody decides at the same time to get on their twitter account and tweet a 141 character tweet about the ACE study and also a hashtag.  There is probably something more original but I quickly came up with

#Felitti4NobelPeacePrize #ACEStudy #No2Trauma #PedsAgainstACES

Fellow Doctors,

Please become courageous.  Our patients are dying.  Children are suffering and sometimes dying when they do not have to.   I see it everyday.   We can end this.  Please, I am begging you all.   The silence must end.   (Some days - actually most - I feel like jumping off a bridge too.  That is my contribution to ending the silence, secrecy and shame.) 

I am a qualified (as far as I am concerned - professional) but if all 10,000 ACEsConnection members signed something - there is a chance.   I am gonna search who these nominating people are and try to find ways to convince them.  I may be a small fish, but I put in a huge effort.   The work of the ACE study is the most important contribution to medicine since Alexander Fleming and Penicillin. 

This cannot be denied anymore. 

#Felitti4NobelPeacePrize

I totally support nomination of Dr. Felitti for a Nobel Prize, as well as the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

We agree that Dr. Felitti has made a groundbreaking discovery that has not been recognized for the brilliant and valuable work that it is.  However, realistically, the only medicine (physiology) that is recognized is highly "scientific" and conventional.  And only qualified professionals can nominate physicians.  (you can Google it) 

I agree that such a nomination would raise awareness and there may be other honors possible.  The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award in the USA.  We might want to explore other possibilities.  Should we include Dr. Robert Anda too?

How do we organize a Twitter campaign for this nomination?

If Dr Felitti was nominated, it could  potentially raise the awareness of ACEs to the public, which could only be a good move.

I so agree with Marla Parish's comment that Dr. Felitti deserves the Nobel Prize for Medicine.  We could also nominate him for the Nobel Peace Prize. If we really understand the implications of his findings and want to do something "upstream" as he suggests and educate,  support and heal parents, especially those who are pregnant, we can change medicine and contribute to a more peaceful  family, society and world.  See BirthPsychology.com to "begin at the beginning" and break the generational transmission of trauma and build healthy, resilient children and families.

Dr. Felitti is a towering figure in public health and should, in my opinion, receive the Nobel Prize in Medicine.