IACM-Bulletin of July 23, 2004

IACM — The IACM information will not be published until further notice

The IACM information will not be published until further notice, as the chronic disease of Dr. Franjo Grotenhermen, Executive Director of the IACM, has acutely deteriorated. The regular composition of the IACM information was honorarily carried out solely by Dr. Grotenhermen in recent years. At the moment, no one within the IACM Board of Directors feels in a position to take on this laborious work in addition to his or her respective own regular job.

IACM — Call for donation to Dr. Franjo Grotenhermen

For more than 10 years, Franjo Grotenhermen has been suffering from a chronic disease of the small blood vessels, a so-called „small vessel disease“ that causes heart problems and a severe orthostatic dysregulation to him. After a deterioration some weeks ago, cardiologist Prof. Dr. Tauchert (City Hospital Leverkusen) suggested a special form of treatment (a so-called rheohemapheresis) to him which can improve blood fluidity, thus effecting symptom improvement. Luckily this treatment initially lead to clinical improvement of Franjo Grotenhermen`s state. However, the therapy currently has to be repeated every seven days in order to effect a consistent stabilization.

Although this therapy is the only one that proves successful to Franjo Grotenhermen, his health insurance refuses to bear the expenses (per treatment approx. 1,150 Euros). The treating doctor anticipates a need of 10-15 further therapies for bringing about a reliable stabilization.

After Franjo Grotenhermen`s long lasting struggle for making cannabis medicaments legally and cost-free accessible to patients, destiny has now forced him into a situation in which a symptom-improving treatment is available, but its costs are not accepted by the health insurance.

We, the IACM Board of Directors, have founded a small association and opened an account in order to make the needed medical treatment possible for Franjo Grotenhermen. The associatin is called FRAN-GO (in German: Foerderung der Rheohaemapherese, Anwendung und Nutzen - eine Gesundheitsoffensive) [in English: Support of Rheohemapheresis, Use and Benefits – a Health Offensive]. The 1st chairman is Dr. Martin Schnelle from Berlin, the 2nd chairwoman is Dr Kirsten Mueller-Vahl from Hannover. We intend to become a charity for tax reasons. But donations are needed already now.

We strongly hope that we thereby can assist him with his return to a fulfilled and active living. May many other people do their share so that Franjo Grotenhermen will also be able to continue his work in the ACM and IACM.

Donation account: Dr. Schnelle / FRAN-GO e.V.

Bank: Deutsche Kreditbank (DKB)

Address:

Kronenstraße 11

10117 Berlin

Germany

Bank account: 11 55 08 03

SWIFT-BIC: BYLADEM 1001

IBAN: DE05 1203 0000 0011 5508 03

Reason for transfer: Therapy donation Grotenhermen

If you want to send a check please send to:

FRAN-GO e.V.

c/o Dr. Schnelle

Hauptstrasse 160 d

13158 Berlin

Germany

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