Diary Prequel Package — page 74

1g of Iraq begins. Plan for AIDS Relief. At dinner were Chris Grady, Bono, Sens. Leahy, Dodd, Santorum, Steve Case and wife Jean, Comedian Chris Tucker, Josh Bolten and girlfriend (?name), Jamie Drummond, Bobbie Schriver, Cardinal ? from DC, Father Perry and others. Mar. 17, 2003 - Gala St. Patrick's Day dinner and Award Ceremony from The Ireland American League at the National Building Museum. Humanitarian Award to Bono. Chris and I sit at Bono's Table as his guest. Bono recognizes me in his acceptance speech. Pres. Bush gives Saddam Hussein 48 hours to leave Iraq or we will attack. Mar. 18, 2003 - Senate passes Project BioShield Bill. I hold meeting on Medical/Chemical Biodefense Research at the Bethesda Hyatt as a sequel to February 26 meeting on Radiological Biodefense. I am trying to frame the landscape of this to pursue an appropriate research agenda. Mar. 19, 2003 - Bombing of Iraq begins. Mar. 19-28, 2003 - Major focus on war. Push towards Bagdad; massive precision bombing; Iraqi irregulars have executed GIs on El Azeera TV to the horror and anger of USA; SARS is getting out of control. 1500 cases and 53 deaths worldwide. At first, investigators isolated a paramyxovirus (metapneumovirus) at first seen on EM. However, this may have been a mistake since several groups led by CDC are now finding an unusual form of coronavirus (common cold). Briefed the VP on SARS and recent cardiac complication of smallpox vaccine via teleconference. March 27 - Testified with Secretary Thompson on Project BioShield at the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Several members (mostly Democrat) are balking at the mandated appropriations authority. They are reluctant to give up the power of the purse. March 28, 2003 - I gave a talk on Bioterrorism at the American Dental Association meeting in DC on March 28. The last person to come to the microphone to ask a question after my talk said that he had waited many years to publicly address me. He related that in 1979, his 7 year old daughter was gravely ill on a respirator with a diffuse autoimmune-like disease that her doctors could not figure out. She was moribund and they were about to give up on her. A doctor said that there was only one doctor in the country that he thought could come up with something and so they called me. Apparently, I spent over an hour on the phone walking through with them a plan for the patient that included plasmapheresis together with cytoxan and prednisone. Within days, his daughter began improving, got off the respirator, spent over a year in rehab, graduated high school, went to Barnard College, graduated first in her class, became a Ph.D. pathologist, got married and had a child. She is entirely well now. He said that he just wanted to thank me publicly for "saving his daughter's life". The audience gave me and him a standing ovation. It was one of the most moving things that I had experienced.