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Gun group to visit capital
HEPATITIS C BREAKTHROUGH
Local advocates providing buses for lobbying day By JEFF ENGELHARDT jengelhardt@shawmedia.com
Kyle Grillot for Shaw Media
Braving the single-digit weather but feeling well, Ray Roach, 52, of McHenry waits Feb. 18 at the Pingree Metra Station for the inbound train to Chicago to see the Blackhawks take on the Detroit Redwings. Roach was diagnosed with Hepatitis C in May 2009 and went through a period when he was extremely ill. His outlook was grim. But he is now among the first locally to be cured by a new drug protocol. Roach finished the 12-week regimen in September, and now his blood is virus free.
McHenry man cured of disease through new drugs By CYNTHIA WOLF editorial@shawmedia.com McHENRY – Ray Roach reflects on the grim prognosis a doctor delivered to him during a hospital stay nearly four years ago and smiles. He smiles a lot these days, in fact. Twisting free of a noose will do that for a person. Roach, 52, of McHenry is among the first of a new crop of patients celebrating a remarkable cure. Diagnosed at age 46 with Hepatitis C, a liver disease caused by the Hepatitis C virus, Roach spent years on a health see-saw, and at one point, was near death. He now is virus free. Roach completed in September a 12-week regimen of the recently FDA-approved drugs Olysio and Sovaldi. Follow-up testing done immediately afterward and again
in January showed no trace of the virus, said Roach and his gastroenterologist, Dr. Dale Coy. “It was incredible,” Roach said, recalling the day he got the follow-up blood work results. “I wanted to run down the street shouting.” Coy is a physician with Gastroenterology and Internal Medicine Specialists, Dr. Dale Coy whose offices are in Woodstock, Huntley, McHenry and Lake Barrington. In his 20 years as a liver doctor, Coy has witnessed a steady improvement in treatments and outcomes for those with Hepatitis C, he said. Aside from Sovaldi, FDA-approved in October, and Olysio, approved in 2013, a new-
er drug called Harvoni also now is available. The drugs have far milder side effects than previous Interferon-based treatments. Rather than juggling multiple pills a day, or dealing with the toxic side effects of Interferon or Ribavirin, Roach’s regimen consisted of minimal side effects – a slight headache once or twice – and required him to take just two pills a day. Those taking Harvoni take only one pill a day, Coy said. “We’ve been waiting for the holy grail,” Coy said. “It’s here. However, it’s very costly, and many insurance companies don’t want to treat patients with low fibrosis scores. While there usually isn’t an urgency to treat, my philosophy is everybody should be treated.” Olysio, the brand name for
By the numbers
3.2 million Estimated number of people in the U.S. with chronic Hepatitis C
17,000 Approximate number of U.S. residents infected annually
8,000 to 10,000 U.S. deaths attributed to chronic Hepatitis C infection annually
180 million Estimated number of people living with the Hepatitis C virus globally
Zero Vaccines available to prevent Hepatitis C
See CURE, page A6
Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; http://hepmag.com
WOODSTOCK – While concealed carry now is legal in Illinois, Mickey Schuch said gun rights activists still have work to do. Schuch, president of McHenry County Right To Carry Association, is making it easy for activists to take part in Illinois Gun Owners Lobby Day on March 18 by setting up transportation to Springfield for anyone interested. Schuch and association members will take buses down to Springfield for a day of lobbying. Schuch said major issues such as the cost of becoming a registered gun owner and the inability to carry in some public places such as a Metra trains must be addressed. “It’s always a challenge to keep people motivated,” Schuch said of inspiring people to fight for gun rights after the legalization of concealed carry. “There are still issues we need to bring before the Legislature. It’s an exercise of your constitutional rights.” It will cost $40 to take one of the buses down to Springfield with association members, Schuch said. Buses will depart at 6 a.m. from the Veterans of Foreign Wars post at 240 N. Troop St. Riders will stop for breakfast at Cracker Barrel in Springfield before arriving at the Prairie Convention Center at 11 a.m. Participants will march through downtown Springfield with hundreds or thousands of others before going to the capitol to lobby legislators on Second Amendment issues. Buses will depart for Woodstock again at 5 p.m. Adult beverages will be allowed on the ride home, and pizza will be available for extra cost.
See LOBBYING, page A6
Baseball pioneer Minnie Minoso dies ‘Cuban Comet’ was White Sox’s 1st black player By JORDAN OWEN jowen@suntimes.com Minnie Minoso, the first black player for the Chicago White Sox, passed away Sunday morning. He was 90. The outfielder was born in Cuba and played 17 seasons in the MLB. He became the first black player in White Sox history on May 1, 1951. He was denied entry into the Hall of
Fame last year. Minoso, who lived in the 3700 block of North Lake Shore Drive, was discovered in the driver’s seat of his vehicle in the 2800 block of North Ashland, according to police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office. He was pronounced dead at 1:09 a.m. An autopsy Sunday found Minoso died of complications from COPD and his death was ruled natural, according to the medical examiner’s office. Area North detectives are conducting a routine death investigation, police said. The “Cuban Comet” blazed a trail for Latin American
Inside n Minnie Minoso, current Sox Jose
Abreu formed bonds. PAGE B1
players in the big leagues starting in the 1950s. Minoso drove in 100 runs four times for the Sox and hit .300 or better six times. “Our organization and our city have suffered a heart-breaking loss today,” White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said in a statement issued by the team. “We have lost our dear friend and a great man. Many tears are falling.”
Minoso was denied entry into the Hall of Fame in December, failing to receive the necessary votes from the 16-member Golden Era Committee. Minoso received eight of the 12 votes needed. “Minnie may have been passed over by the Baseball Hall of Fame during his lifetime, but for me and for generations of black and Latino young people, Minnie’s quintessentially American story embodies far more than a plaque ever could,” President Barack Obama said in a statement.
See MINOSO, page A6
AP file photo
Former Negro Leaguer and Chicago White Sox player Minnie Minoso stands Aug. 24, 2013, during the national anthem before a baseball game between the White Sox and the Texas Rangers in Chicago. Minoso has died. The Cook County medical examiner confirmed his death Sunday.
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