References:

I struggle with the findings, and lack of findings, that I have so far heard about Daniel’s case.  So far, all investigations seem to have proceeded down only the expected avenues… Inquiries into diet, exercise, supplements, blood sugar readings and so on.  In other words, all focus has been on medical questions, which treat the body as a machine with a broken component (see my post on Descartes for more information).  As such, I believe the lens of inquiry is too narrow.  

I also wonder about his running.  The experts have said that his long-distance running has somehow ‘shocked’ his immune system, via this rare gene, to start working again.  How do they know that it wasn’t some other factor to do with running that would have helped?  For example, Daniel is likely to have maintained good hydration to be able to run.  He is also likely to have spent a lot of time outdoors in nature, which in itself can be very healing.  The added benefit of sunshine on the body, and the resultant levels of vitamin D, are also worth questioning.  Perhaps it was any one of these factors, or the combination of all of them, rather than the running itself, that led to his healing.