LISTSERV 16.0 - PARKINSN Archives

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Date: Tue, 3 Jul 2001 11:19:34 -0400
From: "John Rogers" <[log in to unmask]>
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Subject: Urgent Medical Research Update
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Parkinson's disease has been a part of my family life for 32 years.  As a
child, I was too young to realize that my grandmother was trapped inside
her own body; I just thought her stern stare and shaking meant she didn't
like me.  As I grew-and she deteriorated-I learned what it meant to
literally "waste away."  Then, seventeen years ago, my father was
diagnosed with Parkinson's.  We all knew what lay in store for him: the
tremors, the "freeze-ups," in which his muscles constrict and he can't
move until they pass, the loss of balance leading to sudden falls and
broken bones...But the real horror of this disease is that, while it
slowly destroys your body, your mind is left intact-people like my father
and grandmother are fully aware of what's happening to them.  They just
can't stop it.  Medication helps delay the symptoms, but ultimately the
disease wins, frequently leaving its victims unable to speak, move, or
swallow.

The possibility of finding a cure is what keeps us going, and recent
developments in the area of stem cell research have been truly exciting.
That's why I and many others have been dismayed to learn that the Bush
Administration could take action any day now that would delay the search
for a cure.  More than  a million Americans have Parkinson's; 60,000 will
be diagnosed this year alone.  The President and our Members of Congress
need to know how vital this research is.  By taking just a few moments of
your time, and at no cost to you, you can help support continued federal
funding for stem cell research.  Here are two important things you can do
today:

1. Visit http://www.stemcellfunding.org/funding to ask the President
and your Members of Congress to support funding for this crucial area of
medical research.

2. Pass this email on to your family and friends and ask them to contact
the President and their Members of Congress as well.  Every voice counts.

Stem cell research doesn't just carry the potential to benefit people with
Parkinson's.  It could also lead to treatments or cures for multiple
sclerosis, cancer, diabetes, arthritis, ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease),
Alzheimer's, spinal cord injuries, and more.  That's why dozens of
national groups like the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
International, the Parkinson's Action Network, Harvard University, and the
Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation have joined forces to advocate for
continued funding of stem cell research.

My father used to stand 6'3" tall and weigh 200 pounds.  Now, he is barely
6 feet tall, and he weighs less than 120 pounds. Without a cure, he will
succumb to this disease just like my grandmother did.  We know there
aren't any guarantees, but the potential of stem cell research is
something we must not ignore.  Please take the time to visit
http://www.stemcellfunding.org/funding today to contact
the President and your Members of Congress.

Thank you.

John Rogers



























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