b'Bill Sardi andMacular DegenerationBill Sardi Affirmed My Own Research and Discovery PathBY KATHERINE A. CARROLLNHF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS AND FINANCE, NTPI n late 2010, my husband and busi-ness partner at Medical Vision Center (MVC) in Morton, Washington, Dr. Donald Carroll, and I were invited on a radio interview with a supplement manufacturer to discuss nutraceuticals and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Ourclinicsstrongemphasiswason treating this potentially blinding disease nutritionally.Wewerebothcertifiedas Nutritional Therapy Practitioners (NTP) in 2004 and had opened an in-office natural dispensary. This led to meeting Bill Sardi, researcher, and author of articles on macu-lar degeneration. 1I called him and asked if we could meet. He agreed.If you are not familiar with it, AMD re-mains a leading cause of vision loss and blindness,withdysfunctionandlossof retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) central to the disease progression. The macula is part of the light-sensitive tissue in the center of the retina of the eye. AMD usually begins in one eye as early as age 50, causing progres-sive loss of central vision with the inabilityBill Sardi standing, Atty Scott Tips, Dr. Stuart Richer, and Dr. Donald Carroll far right at to see fine details, to read, or to recognizeAdytum Sanctuaryfaces. When a friend of mine in her fifties leftBill Sardi Chose MVC for supplementation trial (LAST) 2researcher MVC with a macular degeneration diag- the First Office TrialDr. Stuart Richer on Bills product Lon-nosis,themagnitudeofthispotentiallyFlying to Southern California to meet Bill,gevinex (a red-wine extract combined with blinding disease really hit me. What weafter a warm welcome into his home, weproprietary synergistic ingredients), which used to see in 70-year-old patients is occur- drove to his favorite restaurant and enjoyedwas being tested for its impact on AMD. ring in much younger demographics now.anever-ending,healthyMediterraneanThe team would consist of lead study re-In fact, search results on the internet typi- dinner together as well as very stimulatingsearcher Dr. Stuart Richer, 3Bills food-and-cally find the words incurable and mac- conversation. This is how our 12-year rela- drug attorney Scott Tips, who would help ulardegenerationcombined.However,tionship started, with visits back and forthoversee the trial, and Dr. Donn Carroll, who incurable AMD is only true if you dobetween our two homes. would examine the patients.nothing. We want to give hope that by ded- After that first dinner Bill selected our Vi- Bill most graciously bought and shipped icated action this diagnosis can be changedsion Center for the first office trial that heto us a $60,000 Optical Coherence Tomogra-and the condition successfully reversed. wanted to initiate with lutein antioxidantphy (OCT) scanner, which uses light waves H ealtHF reedomN ews /s priNg2022 15'