---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Bill <
ocedure Saved Him
Singer Don Ho Says Procedure Saved Him
http://channels.netscape.com/celebrity/story.jsp?floc=FF-APO-1403&idq=/ff/story/0001%2F20051222%2F2349328126.htm&sc=1403
By JAYMES SONG
|
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
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