Discovery Health Offers the Definitive Look at Indonesia's 'Treeman' in TREEMAN: SEARCH FOR THE CURE

Discovery Health Offers the Definitive Look at Indonesia's 'Treeman' in TREEMAN: SEARCH FOR THE CURE

- Discovery Health Offers Audiences Exclusive Access to Dede the Treeman and the American Doctor Racing to Cure Him on Sunday, October 5, at 9 PM (ET/PT) -

SILVER SPRING, Md., Aug. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- The bizarre growths covering his body have made Indonesia's Dede Kosawa an international fascination, known to millions as the "Treeman." On October 5, Discovery Health will go beyond the headlines and the tabloids to present the dramatic true story of a man desperately fighting to reclaim his body and his life, and the tireless doctor completely dedicated to treating him.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080814/NETH059 )

Countless news outlets and websites from around the world have featured images of the tree-like warts covering Dede's body -- totally consuming his hands and feet and making him look as much plant as human. Nearly a year in the making, TREEMAN: SEARCH FOR THE CURE provides an exclusive firsthand account of this groundbreaking medical case from both Dede and his American doctor, Dr. Anthony Gaspari.

Fascinated by the Treeman case, Gaspari, chief of dermatology at the University of Maryland Medical Center, travelled to a remote part of Indonesia to meet the legendary Dede. Upon meeting him, Gaspari recognized the most incredible dermatological case he had ever come across, and made it his mission to treat -- and hopefully cure -- the Treeman.

TREEMAN: SEARCH FOR THE CURE is a candid, personal journey, offering the only look into the thoughts and feelings of a man hoping to overcome incredible health challenges in an attempt to become "more human." The documentary also serves as a study in perseverance as Dede endures multiple painful procedures while Gaspari races against time to find a breakthrough treatment, battling a mysterious disease to provide the best possible treatment for the Treeman.

TREEMAN: SEARCH FOR THE CURE airs on Discovery Health on Sunday, October 5, at 9 PM (ET/PT).

About Discovery Health

Discovery Health Media includes the Discovery Health and FitTV television networks and online assets including www.discoveryhealth.com, as well as its Continuing Medical Education (CME) business and Discovery's first stand-alone VOD service, Discovery Health On-Call. Discovery Health Media is part of Discovery Communications, the number-one nonfiction media company reaching more than 1.5 billion cumulative subscribers in over 170 countries. Discovery's 100-plus worldwide networks are led by Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, The Science Channel, Discovery Health and HD Theater, with digital media properties including HowStuffWorks.com. Discovery Communications is owned by Discovery Holding Co. (NASDAQ:DISCA)(NASDAQ:DISCB), Advance/Newhouse Communications and John S. Hendricks, Discovery's founder and chairman. For more information please visit www.discoverycommunications.com/.

About the University of Maryland Medical Center

The University of Maryland Medical Center is a major, innovative teaching hospital in downtown Baltimore that provides a full range of health care to more than 300,000 patients each year from Maryland and the Mid-Atlantic region. It serves as a regional referral center for the most serious and complicated health problems in adults and children, including cancer, trauma, heart disease, neurological disorders and organ transplants.

All of the doctors who treat patients at the medical center are on the faculty of the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Established in 1807, the School of Medicine is the first public and the fifth oldest medical school in the United States.

For additional photography on Dede the Treeman, please visit the Discovery Health portion of the Press Web at http://www.press.discovery.com/.

First Call Analyst:
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Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080814/NETH059
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
AP PhotoExpress Network: PRN8
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: Discovery Health

CONTACT: US, Chris Finnegan, +1-240-662-7589,
Chris_Finnegan@discovery.com, or UK, Kate Buddle, +0208-811-3542,
Kate_Buddle@discovery.com, both of Discovery Health

Web site: http://www.discovery.com/

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