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Message-ID: <004501c48545$42d0bbf0$0200a8c0@yourn3ty7athd5>
Reply-To: "Diane Wyshak" <[log in to unmask]>
From: "Diane Wyshak" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Fw: Supporting stem cell research is about as prolife as it gets
Date: Wed, 18 Aug 2004 13:03:18 -0400
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----- Original Message -----
From: "Diane Wyshak" <[log in to unmask]>
To: "Dinney" <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, August 18, 2004 12:43 PM
Subject: Fw: Supporting stem cell research is about as prolife as it gets


>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Meyer, Steve" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: "Steve Meyer (E-mail)" <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Wednesday, August 18, 2004 8:58 AM
> Subject: FW: Supporting stem cell research is about as prolife as it gets
>
>
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Tony Mazzaschi" <[log in to unmask]>
> > Sent: Tuesday, August 17, 2004 11:52 PM
> > Subject: Supporting stem cell research is about as prolife as it gets
> >
> >
> > > The following commentary appeared in the Duluth News-Tribune on
Friday.
> > >
> > > Tony Mazzaschi
> > > AAMC
> > >
> > > Supporting stem cell research is about as prolife as it gets
> > >
> > > Commentary by CHERI GUNVALSON
> > >
> > > I am gravely concerned about President Bush's refusal to update his
> > > policy on embryonic stem cell research. This issue is extremely
> > > important to me, not only because my son Jacob has a terminal form of
> > > muscular dystrophy, but also for the chilling effect on biomedical
> > > research. President Bush's unwillingness to allow the scientific
> > > researchers access to stem cell lines may preclude a cure, or at least
> > > new or improved treatments, for not only my son's illness but other
> > > diseases such Parkinson's, diabetes, spinal cord injury, cancer and
> > > Alzheimer's.
> > >
> > > Our son Jacob has a form of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, which is the
> > > number one genetic killer of children worldwide. It affects one in
every
> > > 3,500 births. Males are born with the disease, and females are born as
> > > carriers who, like me, most often do not know they are carriers until
> > > they have a son diagnosed with it. It strikes at random and has the
> > > highest rate of spontaneous mutations of any genetic illness. At about
> > > age four, boys' legs begin to give out, and they collapse without
> > > warning as their leg muscles deteriorate, followed by their upper
> > > bodies. These males all die in their late teens and early 20s.
> > >
> > > There is no treatment for this disease, research for which receives
> > > less than $200 per patient per year from the National Institutes of
> > > Health. I have visited recently with physicians from two of the NIH
> > > institutes where the funding for this disease originates. They both
told
> > > me that after the election the current administration, if still in
> > > office, plans to cut their funding for research, thus cutting the
> > > research and clinical trials that hold great hope for our son and
> > > millions of other people. We need access to new viable stem cell lines
> > > so we can press NIH to fund research using those lines.
> > >
> > > There is real hope that expanding the number of available stem cell
> > > lines will prove to be a vital tool in allowing scientists to fully
> > > develop the promise of stem cell research. When President Bush
announced
> > > his stem cell policy three years ago, there appeared to be more than
70
> > > stem cell lines. Now we know that only 15 are viable, and all of those
> > > are infected with mouse tissue from their use in animal studies that
> > > make them unusable for human trials. I was troubled by the allegation
> > > that Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson has fiscal
> > > interest in two of those lines. At a bare minimum, the unusable lines
> > > should be replaced with viable non-mouse-infected tissue.
> > >
> > > Personally I would never have an abortion; however, I would donate any
> > > part of my body, including my unused eggs, to save my son. Fertility
> > > clinics are allowed to produce millions of five-day-old blastocysts
that
> > > are going in the garbage, but the Bush administration is unwilling to
> > > use them to save our son. It is most difficult for me to understand
how
> > > one can be for fertility clinics and the production of blastocysts yet
> > > unwilling to use the leftover ones to save a life.
> > >
> > > A very close friend of mine is a staunch Catholic and is infertile.
She
> > > does not believe in fertility clinics, so she and her husband have
> > > adopted two lovely boys. She also would give any part of her body to
> > > save her sons, including her unused eggs. Those who would oppose stem
> > > cell research because they are opposed to abortion are confusing two
> > > very different issues. Why does President Bush want to stop a mother
> > > from doing whatever she can to save her son?
> > >
> > > This is not about abortion, as Orrin Hatch, who is a very conservative
> > > prolife Senator has said many times, stem cell research is about as
> > > prolife as you can get.
> > >
> > >  CHERI GUNVALSON of Gonvick, Minn., is a registered nurse.
> > >
> > >
> >
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > ------
> >
> >
>


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