A Tribute to Henry Scammell

With profound sadness, we report that on July 29, 2006 Henry Scammell died unexpectedly of a massive heart attack. Those of us who have benefited from an antibiotic protocol for rheumatic disease believe that it is not an understatement to say that we owe our life to Henry Scammell. If we had not discovered one of his books -- The Road Back, The New Arthritis Breakthrough or Scleroderma: The Proven Therapy That Can Save Your Life -- we would not have found the ray of hope that guided us to our renewed health. Henry was unique in his passion and dedication to righting injustice. He was compelled to write about a safe and proven treatment that provided tremendous benefit and an improved quality of life, but had not yet become a part of mainstream medicine. For many, he has been a hero, one who was courageous, told our stories and represented our truth in the face of controversy. Countless patients are grateful to Henry for chronicling the pioneering work of Dr. Thomas McPherson Brown and for keeping it alive. Henry was a member of the board of directors of the Road Back Foundation for more than a decade. He was a tireless volunteer for the Foundation and responded by mail, email or phone to anyone who contacted him after reading one of his books. The Road Back Foundation will continue as an active presence to maintain Henry Scammell's legacy and to honor his ground breaking contributions to the field of antibiotic therapy. Henry's writings, his stories, his passion and his willingness to listen to and record the life-changing progress made by patients on antibiotic protocols will not be forgotten. Our hearts go out to the Scammell family for the loss of this dear, dear man.

Eulogy for Henry Scammell August 3, 2006

I stand before you with a heavy heart but also with joy and honor to share thoughts and celebrate the life of Henry. My name is Diane Aronson, the President of the Road Back Foundation. Henry's book, The Road Back, was the inspiration of the founding of the Foundation by a group of patients in 1993.

For those of us with rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma, lupus or another of the rheumatic diseases, we have known Henry as author, activist and advocate. For a number of us, we have also been privileged to know him as a dear friend and colleague. His dedication to help others was remarkable. He would stop just about anything he was doing to respond to someone in need. For years, he was a committed volunteer for the Road Back Foundation. He contributed his time, resources, passion, money and unique talent for capturing events and information with the written word.

Henry was a storyteller beyond compare. In the mid 1980s, on an island vacation with his beloved Caroline, he met a woman with rheumatoid arthritis named Jane Fagan who was being helped by a physician using a little known treatment for her disease - antibiotics. Jane convinced Henry that he had to tell the story of Dr. Thomas McPherson Brown and of the patients who were gaining back their health and well being, and so he did. He went on to write three books recording the remarkable stories of patients' improved health, about the healing protocols of Drs. Brown, John Sinnott and David Trentham and about the politics of why the treatment had not yet been embraced by the medical mainstream. But especially, through his writing, he captured the essence of how people's lives had been transformed by antibiotic protocols from a crippling or near fatal disease to an enhanced quality of life.

This past month, in Providence, the board of directors of the Road Back Foundation held a meeting. Two new board members were present and thus two more were added to the many who thanked Henry for his books and for their renewed health. At the start of the meeting, we went around the room to tell briefly about ourselves and backgrounds. When it was Henry's turn, knowing full well that a fascinating and lively report would ensue, I asked that he hold off until our dinner time together. That evening, Henry told his story about his professional background, his early businesses, his many books, his fishing, and his family and was delighted to show a photo of his grandchildren. Later, we lingered and sat in the hotel lobby to hear more, laugh together as we heard his humorous tales and marvel at his recall of detail. He began one of his sentences with, "When I bought my Nash Rambler, which had been owned by the Queen of England, when I was living in Spain..." What joy it was to have spent time with him that evening.

It was not unusual for the Scammells to hear a knock at their door from someone who had read one of Henry's books. Grateful individuals would say that they were compelled to find him, to thank him personally for informing them about a treatment that brought them back to health and a productive life. The following are just a few comments that have appeared on the Road Back Web site and encapsulate some of what is felt by so many after learning of Henry's passing:

"I wish I had met him as I would have loved to thank him for my life. I will never forget how his book came at a time when I wasn't sure I could cope and his book made me realize I could. What a remarkable man."

One woman, a beautiful woman, from Texas traveled to the Mayo Clinic to get the best care in the country for her scleroderma. Scleroderma is a disease that hardens the skin and internal organs and in the worst cases causes death. She was told that there was no effective treatment and that she could come back when her symptoms got painful and they would give her pain medication. She writes, "I found his book in the Mayo Clinic bookstore, after being told by doctors there, that there was no cure for scleroderma. I read his entire book on the plane on the way home. He gave me HOPE!! I later talked with him, and he encouraged me to contact [a doctor and begin the treatment]. There is not enough praise or thankfulness I can express." Her symptoms have subsided and she is leading a productive life today.

A woman in Australia who started a Road Back group there writes, "I will never forget his kindness. How many people do you know who work tirelessly as he did, without the disease, to help those who were suffering?"

"The human race has suffered a major loss - I would daresay thousands and thousands of people have been helped with their illnesses though the efforts of Henry Scammell, not only through his books but his tremendous efforts in raising awareness of a therapy that truly saves lives. His book saved my life."

From Elizabeth in South Carolina who was gravely ill with scleroderma. She began posting on the Road Back Web site about a year ago. "I am the mother of three little girls. Mr. Scammell's work saved them from being mother-less...Please know that your father/brother/husband/uncle/friend saved thousands of lives with his books and his work. I am more grateful than you will ever know. My children know who he is and that he passed away on Saturday. I send you a quote from a prayer that my 6 year old wrote.

Dear God, Please help Dr. Scamul find his way to you. Send the angels to help him so he wont get lost. Be careful with him becase he helped my mommy get better. Amen from Aubrey"

Finally -- "Henry Scammell's book was the piece of the puzzle that turned it all around for us. Good Bye Dear Henry."

In closing, we'll miss his ticklish laugh, his youthful exuberance, his razor-sharp wit, his passion for speaking and writing about injustice, his amazing ability to write in a way that touched and his enthusiasm for a good tale, well told.

On behalf of the Road Back board of directors and the many patients who have expressed their deepest gratitude and appreciation, we thank Henry's partner in life, Caroline, and their wonderful children for sharing Henry with us, as we recognize together a life that has made a direct and life-changing difference to his family, friends and to the lives of thousands.

Henry may be gone from our physical presence but for patients, who are stricken with crippling, painful and lethal diseases, his spirit of helping others and his legacy will live on through his words. We will miss him on our roads back and, for all of us, on our roads yet to be taken. Good Bye Dear Henry.

Henry's family has asked that donations be sent to the Road Back Foundation so that through his legacy, the efforts of the Foundation will continue. Please contribute in the secure online DONATIONS area in the drop down menu above or link on left of page. If using a check, send your contribution to:

The Road Back Foundation
In Memory of Henry Scammell
P.O. Box 410184

Cambridge, MA 02141

The Road Back Foundation does not engage in the practice of medicine. Consult with a physician to assess any medical treatment that is being considered. The Road Back Foundation encourages healthcare consumers to thoroughly investigate and understand all treatments and medications before proceeding. This material is for educational purposes only.