GROUND BREAKING NEW TEST TO DETECT IT EARLY, THANKS TO ONE
DETECT IT EARLY, THANKS TO ONE EXTRAORDINARY WOMAN.
EXTRAORDINARY WOMAN. FLOWERS, FUMES, COFFEE.
FLOWERS, FUMES, COFFEE. FOR MOST OF US SMELLS ARE A PART
FOR MOST OF US SMELLS ARE A PART OF EVERYDAY LIFE.
OF EVERYDAY LIFE. NOT FOR JOY MILLS.
NOT FOR JOY MILLS. THIS GRANDMOTHER FROM SCOTLAND
THIS GRANDMOTHER FROM SCOTLAND HAS SUCH A SENSITIVE NOSE SHE
HAS SUCH A SENSITIVE NOSE SHE CAN SMELL DISEASE, AN INCREDIBLE
CAN SMELL DISEASE, AN INCREDIBLE ABILITY, VERIFIED AND PUBLISHED
ABILITY, VERIFIED AND PUBLISHED IN SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS WHERE
IN SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS WHERE SHE’S KNOWN AS THE SUPER
SHE’S KNOWN AS THE SUPER SMELLER.
SMELLER. >> IT’S LIKE A DOG AND A HUMAN.
>> IT’S LIKE A DOG AND A HUMAN. I TAKE THAT AS A COMPLIMENT.
I TAKE THAT AS A COMPLIMENT. >> JOY, A NURSE, SAYS SHE’S
>> JOY, A NURSE, SAYS SHE’S ALWAYS SMELLED CHANGES IN HER
ALWAYS SMELLED CHANGES IN HER PATIENTS.
PATIENTS. BUT IT WAS A CHANGE IN HER
BUT IT WAS A CHANGE IN HER HUSBAND LES, A DOCTOR, THAT
HUSBAND LES, A DOCTOR, THAT WOULD ALTER BOTH OF THEIR LIVES.
WOULD ALTER BOTH OF THEIR LIVES. >> HE WAS ONLY 31, JUST GOING ON
>> HE WAS ONLY 31, JUST GOING ON 32 THAT SUMMER.
32 THAT SUMMER. >> LES DIDN’T SMELL LIKE HIMSELF
>> LES DIDN’T SMELL LIKE HIMSELF AND THE ODOR WOULDN’T GO AWAY.
AND THE ODOR WOULDN’T GO AWAY. >> I THOUGHT, WELL, I’M NOT
>> I THOUGHT, WELL, I’M NOT GOING TO NAG ABOUT THIS.
GOING TO NAG ABOUT THIS. >> MORE THAN A DECADE LATER AT
>> MORE THAN A DECADE LATER AT 45 LES WAS DIAGNOSED WITH
45 LES WAS DIAGNOSED WITH PARKINSON’S, THE DISEASE ACTOR
PARKINSON’S, THE DISEASE ACTOR MICHAEL J. FOX BATTLED FOR
MICHAEL J. FOX BATTLED FOR YEARS, MUHAMMAD ALI HAD IT TOO,
YEARS, MUHAMMAD ALI HAD IT TOO, CAUSING TREMORS AND EVENTUALLY
CAUSING TREMORS AND EVENTUALLY DEMENTIA.
DEMENTIA. AT THE SUPPORT GROUP MEETING
AT THE SUPPORT GROUP MEETING JOY’S NOSE WAS OVERWHELMED.
JOY’S NOSE WAS OVERWHELMED. >> I SAID, LOOK, EVERYBODY ELSE
>> I SAID, LOOK, EVERYBODY ELSE IN THE ROOM WITH PARKINSON’S HAS
IN THE ROOM WITH PARKINSON’S HAS THE SAME SMELL AS YOU.
THE SAME SMELL AS YOU. WE WENT, WHAT, WHAT ARE YOU
WE WENT, WHAT, WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?
TALKING ABOUT? >> A TECHNOLOGY PROFESSOR WAS
>> A TECHNOLOGY PROFESSOR WAS SKEPTICAL.
SKEPTICAL. SHE AND A TEAM OF RESEARCHERS
SHE AND A TEAM OF RESEARCHERS TESTED JOY NOT WITH HIGH TECH
TESTED JOY NOT WITH HIGH TECH MACHINES BUT T-SHIRTS.
MACHINES BUT T-SHIRTS. >> WE GOT SOME PEOPLE WITH
>> WE GOT SOME PEOPLE WITH PARKINSON’S, SIX PEOPLE WHO HAD
PARKINSON’S, SIX PEOPLE WHO HAD IT AND WHO DIDN’T HAVE IT.
IT AND WHO DIDN’T HAVE IT. WE BOUGHT THEM IDENTICAL
WE BOUGHT THEM IDENTICAL T-SHIRTS AND WORE THEM
T-SHIRTS AND WORE THEM OVERNIGHT.
OVERNIGHT. >> THEY GAVE THE SHIRTS TO JOY
>> THEY GAVE THE SHIRTS TO JOY AND SHE SNIFFED OUT ALL OF THE
AND SHE SNIFFED OUT ALL OF THE PARKINSON’S PATIENTS.
PARKINSON’S PATIENTS. ONE IN THE CONTROL GROUP.
ONE IN THE CONTROL GROUP. NINE MONTHS LATER THAT PERSON
NINE MONTHS LATER THAT PERSON WAS TOLD HE HAD PARKINSON’S.
WAS TOLD HE HAD PARKINSON’S. >> THAT WAS TRANSFORMATIVE.
>> THAT WAS TRANSFORMATIVE. SOME OTHER PERSON HAD IT BEFORE
SOME OTHER PERSON HAD IT BEFORE THEY WERE CLINICALLY DIAGNOSED.
THEY WERE CLINICALLY DIAGNOSED. >> ONCE SYMPTOMS LIKE TREMORS
>> ONCE SYMPTOMS LIKE TREMORS START THE DAMAGE TO THE BRAIN IS
START THE DAMAGE TO THE BRAIN IS ALREADY IRREVERSIBLE.
ALREADY IRREVERSIBLE. JOY COULD BE THE CATCHING IT
JOY COULD BE THE CATCHING IT EARLY.
EARLY. >> WHAT DOES PARKINSON’S SMELL
>> WHAT DOES PARKINSON’S SMELL LIKE?
LIKE? >> IT’S A VERY MUSKY, SICKLY
>> IT’S A VERY MUSKY, SICKLY ODOR.
ODOR. IT’S NOT PLEASANT.
IT’S NOT PLEASANT. >> A LOT OF SCENTS MAKE HER
>> A LOT OF SCENTS MAKE HER SMILE.
SMILE. SHE TRIED TO TEACH ME HOW TO
SHE TRIED TO TEACH ME HOW TO REALLY STOP AND SMELL THE FLOURS
REALLY STOP AND SMELL THE FLOURS FLOWERS.
FLOWERS. >> I CAN SMELL THE FLORAL ON THE
>> I CAN SMELL THE FLORAL ON THE BLOSSOMS.
BLOSSOMS. >> NEVER JUST SMELL ONE.
>> NEVER JUST SMELL ONE. SMELLS ARE NOT ONE SMELL.
SMELLS ARE NOT ONE SMELL. >> NOW YOU’RE SMELLING THE BASIC
>> NOW YOU’RE SMELLING THE BASIC MOLECULES.
MOLECULES. >> SHE SMELLS MOLECULES FROM
>> SHE SMELLS MOLECULES FROM PEOPLE TOO.
PEOPLE TOO. WITH JOY’S HELP RESEARCHERS
WITH JOY’S HELP RESEARCHERS PINPOINTED THE PARKINSON’S SMELL
PINPOINTED THE PARKINSON’S SMELL TO THE OILY SUBSTANCE IN THE
TO THE OILY SUBSTANCE IN THE SKIN, AND IDENTIFIED MOLECULES
SKIN, AND IDENTIFIED MOLECULES SPECIFIC TO THE DISEASE.
SPECIFIC TO THE DISEASE. THE RESULT, A GROUND BREAKING
THE RESULT, A GROUND BREAKING NEW TEST.
NEW TEST. >> WE CAN TELL WITHIN ABOUT HALF
>> WE CAN TELL WITHIN ABOUT HALF AN HOUR FROM A PATIENT’S SAMPLES
AN HOUR FROM A PATIENT’S SAMPLES JUST WHETHER SOMEONE HAS
JUST WHETHER SOMEONE HAS PARKINSON’S OR NOT.
PARKINSON’S OR NOT. >> THAT TEST IS STILL IN EARLY
>> THAT TEST IS STILL IN EARLY TRIAL.
TRIAL. BUT IF IT WORKS IT COULD SAVE
BUT IF IT WORKS IT COULD SAVE COUNTLESS FAMILIES FROM THE PAIN
COUNTLESS FAMILIES FROM THE PAIN JOY AND LES WENT THROUGH.
JOY AND LES WENT THROUGH. HE DIED FOUR YEARS AGO.
HE DIED FOUR YEARS AGO. >> WHAT DO YOU THINK HE COULD --
>> WHAT DO YOU THINK HE COULD -- OH --
OH -- >> WOULD THINK ABOUT WHAT’S
>> WOULD THINK ABOUT WHAT’S HAPPENING NOW?
HAPPENING NOW? >> I KEEP ON SAYING TO PEOPLE
>> I KEEP ON SAYING TO PEOPLE WHO ASK ME THAT, IT’S A TEAR
WHO ASK ME THAT, IT’S A TEAR JERKER.
JERKER. NO, HE WOULD BE JUST OVER THE
