Legwork Book

As a gutsy, principled TV investigative reporter on consumer issues, uncovering fraud was not just Ellen Burstein MacFarlane's job, it was her passion. But when in May 1986 she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, an incurable and often disabling disease of the central nervous system, her own desperation made her fall prey to the seductive false promises of a charlatan. It was Ellen, one of the best-known journalists in central Florida, to whom viewers turned when they had been hoodwinked. Her reports earned her awards, gratitude, and the satisfaction of seeing new laws passed to punish con artists. At the time her MS was diagnosed, her first response was denial, then anger. But five years later, when she could no longer chase crooks down the street with her cameraman, she felt truly frustrated. Then she read a New York magazine cover story profiling an impeccably credentialed cardiovascular surgeon who claimed he had the answer to MS and other chronic illnesses. She contacted him, and he assured her that after a year of his treatment her multiple sclerosis would be gone and she would be walking again. The price was $100,000 - up front. To Ellen, stopping the disease's progression was worth anything. With the help of her family, she accumulated the money to pay the doctor. Consequently, she and many other patients were cheated by the doctor and, far from getting better, Ellen's condition deteriorated. Torn between dwelling on this devastating experience and putting it behind her, Ellen opted to go after the doctor to make sure that he did not hurt anyone else. Strengthened, never diminished by her illness, and with all the skill and determination she used as a reporter, she unraveled his scam. Ellen, the personification of persistence and courage, also writes about the support of a large and loving family (her twin sister, Patricia, is her coauthor) and the remarkable compassion of the vast majority of those in the health-care system. Ellen is now triplegic a