Miracle Workers March 6 Premiere Preview  2/18/06

"MIRACLE WORKERS," AN INSPIRING NEW SERIES ABOUT REAL PEOPLE OVERCOMING INSURMOUNTABLE ODDS WITH THE HELP OF AN ELITE TEAM OF MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS, PREMIERES MONDAY, MARCH 6 ON ABC

When a person's life is on the line and doctors insist that nothing more can be done, it's time to turn to the "Miracle Workers." "Miracle Workers," a life-changing new series about real people overcoming seemingly insurmountable odds with the help of an elite team of medical professionals, premieres MONDAY, MARCH 6 (10:00-11:00 p.m. ET) on the ABC Television Network.

The series, from DreamWorks Television and Renegade 83 Entertainment continues the network's tradition of developing reality programming that makes impossible dreams come true.

In the premiere episode, "Heritage/Slaughter," one man, blind for 22 years, undergoes a revolutionary new treatment that may restore his sight; and a woman suffering from degenerative bone and disc disease is given a medical procedure that may enable her to once again lead an active life.

Todd Heritage, a 34-year-old father to three children, has been blind since childhood due to an allergic reaction to penicillin. He has defied many odds and now helps others as a nursing assistant in Kent, Ohio. His friends, family and community have been a tremendous support to him, but all he wishes is to be able to see the ocean, the stars and the faces of his own children. A revolutionary two-part procedure is Todd's only chance to see again, using stem cells from both a live donor and a cadaver. First the surgeon extracts stem cells from the membranes of the live donor's eye, and then those stem cells are combined with corneal surface stem cells from a cadaver's eye. Together these cells grow over the patient's damaged cornea. If successful, Todd could see again for the first time in 22 years.

Edward J. Holland, M.D., director of Cornea Services at the Cincinnati Eye Institute and Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Cincinnati, is the "Miracle Worker" doctor overseeing the case, assisted by "Miracle Workers" regular team members Redmond Burke, M.D. and Tamara Houston, R.N.

Vanessa Slaughter is a 47-year-old woman who suffers from degenerative bone and joint disease. As a woman who loves people and dreams of opening her own flower shop, being confined to her walker and wheelchair have put her dreams on hold. She has undergone five back surgeries, but they have done little to ease her pain and limited mobility.

Doctors will attempt a new procedure called Anterior Spinal Fusion on Vanessa. A titanium cage filled with bone chips is inserted into the spine from the front of the body, in the hope that the spine will fuse together. This cutting edge surgery could be Vanessa's only hope to fulfill her dreams for an active life.

Stanley D. Gertzbein, M.D., F.R.C.S., a full professor on the faculty of Baylor College of Medicine, Houston and a board-certified internationally respected orthopedic surgeon, is the "Miracle Workers" doctor overseeing the case, assisted by "Miracle Workers" regular team members Billy Cohn, M.D. and Janna Bullock, R.N., M.S.N.

The regular "Miracle Workers" team includes lead doctors Redmond Burke, a pioneering cardiac surgeon who performed New England's first heart lung transplant on a child; Billy Cohn, a cardiovascular surgeon who has been called the "Thomas Edison" of heart surgery for his impressive list of inventions that have changed surgery techniques; UCLA Medical Center nurse Janna Bullock and McLennan Community Recovery RN Tamara Houston.

Created by Renegade 83, "Miracle Workers" is executive-produced by Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey (co-heads of DreamWorks Television), and David Garfinkle and Jay Renfroe from Renegade 83 Entertainment. Scott Jeffress ("The Bachelor," "The Bachelorette" and "Trista and Ryan's Wedding") is co-executive producer.

"Miracle Workers" is broadcast with Spanish subtitles via secondary closed captioning. A TV parental guideline will be assigned closer to airdate.

Source: ABC Press Release