On 2-16-05 almost 2 years ago Mrs. Payne spoke of entering Levesque's Phase
II.  as I reported in April 2006 Phase II was stalled. I found this with
Diane's help.  Will still look for up-to-date info on her. Ray

TESTIMONY OF PATRICIA PAYNE
TO THE COMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS
JOINT COMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES
AGAINST SB 25 - AN ACT PROMOTING STEM CELL RESEARCH
State House, Boston, February 16, 2005


I am here accompanied by Richard, my husband of 40 years, and wish to speak
to you:

First, as a MOTHER of five children committed to bringing LIFE rather than
DEATH into our world;

Second, as a PARKINSON'S DISEASE PATIENT of 14 years who was recently
accepted into a breakthrough Parkinson's research and therapy project. One
of many successful Adult Stem Cell programs;

Third, as a FELLOW HUMAN BEING. One who believes in respecting the SACRED
DIGNITY of every human being and who believes in protecting life from the
moment of conception to the moment of natural death.

I want to state in the strongest terms that I am committed to using only
good medicine in pursuit of a cure for my disease. As you can see, I am
suffering immensely from my Parkinson's, and from the bone disintegration
around my lower spine, which floods my whole body with constant pain. How I
want to relieve my suffering; especially of the body which I carefully
conditioned for years as a classical dancer. But my suffering isn't the real
issue! The real issue is what we are being asked to do in the hope of
relieving our suffering. In Embryonic Stem Cell research, an embryonic human
being is sacrificed in order to get a hold of embryonic stem cells. I don't
want to see cures, even a cure for my terrible disease, to be obtained by
destroying a fellow human being at their earliest and most vulnerable stage
of their existence.

We have been led to believe that only embryonic stem cells have shown any
promise in treating human disease. This is false! The truth is - Adult Stem
Cells have treated and cured literally tens of thousands of people with
almost 100 different diseases. How many people have been cured of ANY
disease using Embryonic Stem Cells? The answer is ZERO! NONE! Instead, the
history of Embryonic Stem Cell research is replete with monstrous tumors,
tissue rejections, and immune reactions.

Parkinson's disease is associated with a progressive cell-loss of mid-brain
dopamine-secreting neurons. Mature neurons derived from a patient's own
brain tissue can be multiplied and transplanted back to the brain safely,
greatly diminishing Parkinsonian symptoms. Soon I will participate in Phase
Two of Dr. Michel Levesque's FDA approved and dramatically successful Adult
Stem Cell research and therapy program. Dr. Levesque is a world-renowned
specialist in Parkinson's, a physician, neuroscientist and neurosurgeon
based at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. As a result of
Phase-One of Dr. Levesque's project, Dennis Turner, a 60-year old retired
nuclear engineer was relieved of 80% of his symptoms. This resulted from
increased dopamine, released from millions of healthy neurons that were
morphed from his own brain tissue, and transplanted back into his brain. I
am making available to you the transcript of Dr. Levesque's recent testimony
to the U.S. Congress along with an article on his Adult Stem Cell research
published in Readers Digest.

We have to revere and protect human life, in all its forms, especially in
its smallest, most hidden and most vulnerable of forms.

My husband edited the famous worldwide classic-best-seller entitled "Hope
for the Flowers", an illustrated fable describing the metamorphosis of a
caterpillar becoming a butterfly. Remember that even though caterpillars
look nothing like butterflies, that without caterpillars there would be no
butterflies. You and I were once caterpillar like. We were embryos. All of
our children were once embryos. There is a universal moral law, which
transcends history and culture, and is a characteristic principle of high
civilization. It is that "the end does not justify the means." To kill one
human being for the benefit of another is never morally justifiable. To kill
the weak in order to benefit the strong is even more objectionable. Please
choose a good, not an evil means for helping those who suffer. The choice is
not between science and ethics, but between a science that is ethically
responsible and a science that is not. I pray that you will do GOD'S WILL
and choose life and good medicine rather than death and evil medicine.












Copyright © Massachusetts Citizens For Life, Inc. 2002 - 2003
Schrafft Center . 529 Main Street . Boston, MA 02129-1100
617-242-4199

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