Helen Mason suggested that I post a copy of the following letter I sent
to Oprah.  It was also her suggestion that I send a copy of the PSA
tapes.  The letter includes a new BIO for me as well.


Dear Oprah,

In looking at your topics, my suggestion is for a show on the issues
involved concerning people with Parkinson's Disease would encompass most
of them: Healing Yourself,  Making Dreams Come True, the Enormous Debt
caused by PD, a cure would certainly Bring me Happiness, a cure would
Change Life by the Yr. 2000,  and I would like the Financial Freedom
from medical expenses and the fear of nursing home costs, and so forth!

A program about people with Parkinson's Disease would provide a dynamic
show.  It has:
   1. Strong visuals.
   2. Stories of heroic struggles.
   3. People taking charge of their own lives despite hardships.
   4. A tremendous economic toll both personal and to the taxpayers.
   5. A community that is reputed to be the most informed about their
disease.
   6. Hope for the future because a cure is in sight with sufficient
funding.

My story is only one of millions.  When I was 44 years old I was
diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and my family has watched as the
disease has progressed over the past 12 years.  Parkinson's is a
progressive neurological disorder that destroys the brain cells
controlling motor function.  The available treatment only partially
alleviates the resulting stiffness, tremor and slowness of movement that
can eventually leave its victims unable to walk, to talk, even to move.
For the past 12 years I've been Vice-President of the Parkinson
Foundation of Harris County.  Among other things, I write a monthly
newsletter that is distributed to over 1700 families.  I've chaired
several fund-raisers--the last being the "Knock-out Parkinson's with
Mohammed Ali" Gala which netted over $125,000 and is being used for
research and community outreach.  I am enclosing a video tape that was
one of the results from this endeavor, with a letter that was posted on
a Parkinson Internet site.

I want to be able to continue to contribute to my community, but I've
seen my co-workers robbed of their ability to work because of the
progression of their disease.  I know that without a cure I and millions
of others will join my co-workers in total disability.

Until recently, my medications (which cost $500 a month) have allowed me
to live an "almost" normal life.  But now the disease has progressed to
the point where the medications don't always work.  Today I can feed and
dress myself, but the time to find a cure is running out for me.  A day
doesn't pass that allows me to forget that I have Parkinson's disease
and that I don't know what tomorrow will bring.  I spent a year
recovering from a ten-hour back fusion caused in part by my Parkinson's
gait.  Then due to the Parkinson's, I fell and fractured a kneecap.

My grandson just celebrated his 5th birthday while I watched the party
from the sidelines, because it was an "off" day.  The medications didn't
work and I couldn't move.  There are times I can't hold my two year old
granddaughter for fear I might fall with her or drop her.  I want to be
able to play with my grandchildren.  I don't want them to remember that
their Grandma couldn't move, or talk or smile.

In addition to the human suffering it causes, Parkinson's is financially
crippling our nation.  According to a study done at Duke University, the
US economy loses about 25 billion dollars a year (that is more than
$68,000,000.00 a day) to maintain about one million Americans who have
Parkinson's disease.  The majority of the expense comes in the later
years of the disease.  Our U.S. Government pays out a substantial part
of that from our taxes--a conservative estimate might be 20% of it, or
five billion dollars a year ($13,600,000.00 a day).

Parkinson's stands to affect millions more than the 1-2 million people
in the United States today when the Baby Boomers, now age 51, reach 57,
the average age of diagnosis.  This aging Baby Boomer generation will
greatly increase that toll, putting additional stress on the Medicaid,
Medicare and Social Security Disability systems.  And 60,000 new cases
are diagnosed each year…one every nine minutes.   The public needs to
know.

Four long years ago, Parkinsonians and their caregivers launched a
valiant grass roots effort to pass the Morris K. Udall Bill for
Parkinson's Research and Education.  In November 1997, the Bill was
finally enacted as an amendment to a larger appropriations measure.  The
Parkinson's community rejoiced, thinking that at long last the $100
million approved for research would soon be granted, but we are still
struggling with Congress to appropriate the funding so that the benefits
of that research can become a reality.

This past June I joined with others affected by Parkinson's in
Washington, DC to participate in the Parkinson's Action Network's fifth
annual Public Policy Forum.  We "Parkinson's Activists" heard about the
latest research and learned how to approach Members of Congress.  Until
recently, we have been invisible.  We are not paid lobbyists, but we
cared enough to make our voices heard.  We suffer with this disease
daily.  So many of us have bravely labored to see the Morris K. Udall
Parkinson's Research bill passed, because scientists have told us that
with enough funding they anticipate finding a cure within 3 to 5 years!

This battle could be quite a story and could also be part of a larger
story on how the National Institute of Health is not stepping up to the
neurological diseases associated with advancing age which will become
the scourge of the Baby Boomers.  There is a window of opportunity now
that will not be there as Parkinson's and the other neurodegenerative
diseases become more prevalent.

I can only imagine the number of decisions you must make regarding the
selection for a show,  but my life as well as the lives of millions who
may have already lost the ability to write or speak out in their own
behalf could be helped by the exposure a show on PD could provide.
YOU hold my life and the lives of millions like me, in your hands.  YOU
have the power to help find a cure for Parkinson's by increasing public
awareness and helping us put pressure on Congress to fund the Udall
bill.

PLEASE, Oprah,  help us get our lives back!
Thank you.

Sincerely,

Nina Proler Brown

--
Nina P. Brown
Phone: 713.729.1544
Fax:     713.610.8662