On 5/3/18 - Richard M. Cohen, bestselling author and award-winning journalist. Richard shares his journey with multiple sclerosis and the world of ste...

RICHARD M. COHEN Richard M. Cohen struggles with failing limbs and is legally blind due to his diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. He has survived two bouts of colon cancer and a life-threatening blood clot in his lungs. After enduring decades of harsh treatments and invasive therapies, Cohen decided to trade in his life as a patient. Cohen chronicles his journey with humor, self-deprecation, and incredible insight in his new memoir, CHASING HOPE: A Patient’s Deep Dive into Stem Cells, Faith, and the Future. In 2012, Cohen and his wife, Meredith Vieira, were invited to host and chair an adult stem cell conference at the Vatican. Scientists would be gathering in Rome to discuss stem cell therapy for autoimmune diseases, including MS. A believer in the power of denial and determination over faith and hope, Cohen was caught off guard by what he learned. Medical technology had advanced further and more quickly than Cohen had known. Could there be a chance his health could improve? Could MS be cured? As Cohen took part in a pioneering stem cell protocol, he opened himself to the possibility of hope for the first time in his adult life. Richard discusses: · His experience with Stem Cell therapy: what he did, and how he’s doing now · How he and his family deal with the everyday reality of his ever-changing health status · Why he decided to end his traditional treatment, and how his doctors reacted · His thoughts on faith and religion, and how his friends’ and colleagues’ faith inform his own thoughts on religion · Cohen’s own thoughts on the difference between hope and faith and what that means for patients with illness. Cohen's deep dive into the cutting-edge world of stem cell research and his journalistic investigation of hope includes interviews with doctors, scientists, and religious leaders, as well as conversations with others living with chronic conditions, all with the goal of understanding a hope that is both elusive and alluring. About the author Richard M. Cohen is the author of two New York Times bestsellers: a memoir, Blindsided, detailing his struggles with MS and cancer and his controversial career in the news business; and Strong at the Broken Places, following the lives of five individuals living with serious chronic illnesses. His distinguished career in network news earned him numerous awards, including three Emmys and a Peabody. Cohen lives outside New York City with his wife, Meredith Vieira. They have three grown children