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PRESS RELEASE: Brain Tissue Donation Program Feb. 13, 2004 “A GIFT OF HOPE” - And You Can Help! PLWP, Inc. has made arrangements with the Morris K. Udall Parkinson’s Disease Research Center of Excellence (PDRCE) to not only advise PLWP members of its Brain Tissue Donation Program but also to promote and to provide easy access for inquiring about the program. The Co-Founders of PLWP, Inc., Nancy Abraham and Brenda Tucker were honored to attend the 5th Annual Morris K. Udall Parkinson’s Disease Research Center of Excellence Conference this past fall held at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina for the second year in a row. Being the only two people with Parkinson’s in attendance, they were privileged to meet and talk with many leading Parkinson’s disease researchers. “We were able to share some of our Parkinson’s experiences as well as those of our fellow PLWP’s with the scientists. They listened very attentively and asked many questions,” said Nancy who has was diagnosed with Parkinson’s eight years ago. “Some took the time to email us after the conference. Something we didn’t expect but really appreciated.” “It was a privilege to be part of a discussion so significant to the PD community,” said Brenda, who was diagnosed in 1987. It was a two-day conference and neither Nan nor Bren missed an opportunity to meet and greet these people who were working on their behalf. “We felt a responsibility to our friends and members of PLWP to share all we could with the scientist. Not presuming to speak for them but just to tell all we could.” One of the people both Nan and Bren spent a great deal of time with was Rita Jewett who is the Parkinson Disease Brain Tissue Donation Program Coordinator. Committed and dedicated to her calling, Rita was eager to share her purpose and explain in detail the donation program. After a lot of discussion, an agreement was reached whereby they would work together getting the information to the Parkinson’s community. Currently, the program is restricted to a hundred mile radius of Durham; but Rita felt sure that something could be worked out to accommodate PLWP members. “Donations will be arranged on a case by case basis,” explained Nancy. “For example, Bren and I talked about the Brain Donation program at the Upper New York State Symposium here in Rochester and several were interested. They contacted Rita directly. Rita plans to visit the donors next September. It worked out rather well.” Rita makes it a point to meet with each donor face to face…it’s personal to her”. To get in touch with Rita or one of her colleagues, simply go to PLWP’s website at http://www.plwp.org and click the “Brain Tissue Donation” icon. The information will go directly to Rita’s email account and someone will get in touch with you as soon as possible. It will probably be Rita! SOURCE: PLWP Website / Nancy Abraham and Brenda Tucker http://www.plwp.org/ * * * ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn