Lorenzo michael murphy odone biography of martin

Augusto Odone refused to give up on his son

Lorenzo Odone is 25 years old and lives in Washington. Eighteen years ago he was diagnosed with an incurable disease and given less than two years to live.

His remarkable survival is due to his parents' single minded refusal to accept the doctors' grim prognosis.

With no scientific training they took on the medical establishment and set about finding a cure. And in 1986 it seemed they had succeeded.

I asked the doctor if I could read the medical papers. He said: 'Don't bother, you won't understand them'. Lorenzo michael murphy odone picture

Their astonishing story was told in the Hollywood movie, Lorenzo's Oil.

The movie painted a fairytale picture of a miracle cure, and gave hope to thousands of young children suffering the same devastating illness.

But these claims have always been controversial. Now, as BBC television documentary series Medical Mysteries reports, a 10 year study into the effects of Lorenzo's Oil has come up with surpr