Ho, ho, ho!
>>
Posted on 12/22/2005 7:52:22 PM PST by NormsRevenge
HONOLULU - Legendary Hawaiian crooner Don Ho says he could barely walk, let alone sing, and would have been a "goner" without an experimental stem cell procedure on his ailing heart earlier this month in Thailand.
Ho, known for his signature tune "Tiny Bubbles," said he hopes to return to the stage soon.
"I'm feeling terrific, 100 percent better," Ho told The Associated Press in one of his first interviews since surgery Dec. 6. "I'm ready to go, but I've got to listen to the doctors.
"When they say my heart is strong enough to get excited, I'm on."
The 75-year-old singer underwent a new treatment that hasn't been approved in the United States. It involves multiplying stem cells taken from his blood and injecting them into his heart in hopes of strengthening it.
"It was my last hope," said Ho, who suffers from nonischemic cardiomyopathy — a weakened heart muscle not due to blockages in the coronary arteries.
The experimental procedure he underwent was developed by TheraVitae Co., which has offices in Thailand and laboratories in Israel, where Ho's stem cells were sent to be multiplied. The therapy was supervised by Dr. Amit Patel, a heart surgeon from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
Ho found out about it on the Internet.
"I knew that if I didn't take things into my own hand, I would've been a goner," he said.
His heart problems had been affecting him for about a year. He had a pacemaker implanted a few months ago, but still felt weak and tired after a few steps. Before the surgery, Ho said, his heart was operating at only 25 percent.
"You can't fight Mother Nature. When you reach a certain age and you don't really take care of yourself, then she's going to give you a little signal," Ho said.
Ho has entertained tourists for more than four decades and hosted the "The Don Ho Show" on ABC in 1976-77.
He said his perspective on life has changed dramatically since the procedure. He now savors all the little things in life, like watching his children decorate the Christmas tree.
He also plans to continue entertaining in Waikiki.
"A lot of people out there come every year to get their 'Tiny Bubbles' fix," he said. "So as long as they keep coming, I might as well keep doing it.
"I retired about 40 years ago. I'm just having fun."
___
On the Net:
Don Ho: http://donho.com
Bring on the ho jokes.
What procedure is that? Sobering up?
I thought only cells recovered from disected aborted fetuses could be used as a source of stem cells.
Cool. Adult stem cells are where it's at. By the way, Mr. Ho is a conservative Christian, as far as I know.
Don't you mean lady of the night jokes? :)
But guess which one gets all the publicity and billions of tax dollars?
"Bring on the ho jokes."
OK
My name is Don Ho and my sister is a Ho.
Many (native) Hawaiians are. I think to some degree, the ACLU is a bit in awkward situation. If they want to push hard for the separation of church and state, they will face the fact that all kinds of government building, ceremonies, etc., are started with (native) Hawaiian blessings. Many of them are actually Christian blessings, as most (native) Hawaiians are Christians.
So his mother was a Ho?
Yo, Don. I hear taking two Alka-Seltzer the next morning has remarkable effects as well.
Wait till you reach Mick Jagger's age, Don.
Ho, ho, ho!
>>
Notice how the do NOT mention that it was ADULT stem cells in this article?
Touche' (I don't know how to do one of those squiggly line things over the "e".
Not from what I've read. Apparently stem cells can be got from a number of sources and one of the most promising is umbilical cord blood; something that is readily available, easily accessible, and disposed of normally anyway. No need to kill babies for it.
"So his mother was a Ho?"
Yeah and the odd thing is, so is his father.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.