Lorenzo’s Oil

Amy Phillips

1. What was the primary disease in this movie and whom did it affect?   The disease in this movie is ADL, Adrenoleukodystrophy.  It affected the Adone’s boy, Lorenzo.

2. How would you classify the disease' impact on the patients functional status, mild, moderate or severe, and why? In Lorenzo’s case, the disease impacted Lorenzo severely.  He lost his ability to move, speak, swallow, and see.  Lorenzo’s condition only worsened until Lorenzo’s parents developed the oil. 

3. In your opinion, how did the research doctors regard Lorenzo's parents?   At first, they gave them no hope since there was no available treatment.  Once Lorenzo was enrolled in the diet trial the researchers didn’t want Lorenzo to change diets even though his condition was worsening.  Even when the Adone’s told the researchers their findings and hypothesis, the researchers were adamant due to funding and uncertainty of the oil.

4. "The roles of the researchers were juxtaposed or changed in this movie." Explain why this is true. The researchers were not comfortable with any other medical treatment or research other than their own.  When the Adone’s spent so much time researching ADL and human physiology, the researchers felt that the Adone’s findings were not credible since neither of the Adone’s had medical degrees.  I think part of the researchers dismissal of the Adone’s findings was because they were the ones with medical degrees and they were the ones who should be responsible for finding a cure/treatment. 

5. Dad had a breakthrough at the library - explain the paperclip analogy/model.   The Adone’s invested countless hours in the research of ADL in order to help Lorenzo.  While in the library, Mr. Adone realized that the monosaturated and monounsaturated fats in Lorenzo’s body were linked together and were in direct correlation with each other.

6. Dad was concerned when Lorenzo's friend came from Africa to live with the Adone's and care for Lorenzo. What was Dad's primary concern?   Omori was Lorenzo’s friend from Africa.  Mrs. Adone believed that having Omori there would give Lorenzo a friend and help him with his battle against ADL.  Mr. Adone was hesitant because he believed that Omori was not properly informed about Lorenzo’s condition.  Also, Omori did not know much English and Mr. Adone did not know how well he would adjust to America.

7. Who was the first human subject to consume the oil and how was it dosed and administered through what portal (ingested, injected, absorbed, inhaled, or other)?  Mrs. Adone’s sister (Lorenzo’s aunt) was the first human to ingest the oil.  She ate it as salad dressing. Her blood levels were then compared to her baseline to see if the oil was suitable for Lorenzo. 

8. What is the role of money in this research product? Who paid for most of the early groundbreaking research?   Money played a key role in the research.  The researchers did not want to fund the research so the Adone’s paid for the research out of their pocket and with the help of donations. 

9. The critical mass theory suggests that multiple researchers conclusively find (or frequently stumble upon) an answer to a scientific inquiry. Were the researchers on a single path to finding a cure for this disease?   No, the researchers were not on the same path.  The doctors and researchers from the beginning gave little hope to the Adone’s and gave Lorenzo 2 years left.  Because of the lack of current treatment and with ADL being a relatively rare disease, the researchers did not believe the research for a cure was justifiable.  Without the Adone’s taking matters into their own hands, Lorenzo probably would have died before a treatment became available.

10. Consider ethics for a moment. Does this movie represent an appropriate ethical model for research.  Defend your answer.  It does represent an appropriate ethical model for research.  Even though research is expensive and time consuming, we have to remember that human lives are on the line. Researchers should have looked at the perspective of not just finding a cure for Lorenzo, but also the other children diagnosed with ADL and even those in the future who will be struggling with this disease.  It is a reminder to anyone working in healthcare that every patient has a family and every patient is worth fighting for.