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Nina, thanks for bringing us this ray of hope. I have been reading the stories of folks with all kinds of awful diseases on [log in to unmask] and they just cannot fathom the position of our government. On the blogs too, people are really mad and don't mince words at all re Bush, they are ready to "march" on Washington...I mean their family members and friends who can walk. Ray ----- Original Message ----- From: "Nina P. Brown" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Tuesday, June 14, 2005 6:16 PM Subject: MORE ON STEM CELL POLICY SUMMIT > STEM CELL POLICY SUMMIT: SUSTAINING THE MANDATE FOR CURES > > SATURDAY NIGHT JUNE 11, 2005 > > STEVE'S JOURNAL > > > > I am on the plane home as I recall the events of Saturday night. In > retrospect it was quite an > evening. > > ____________________________________________________________________ > > > > It is Saturday evening and the Genetics Policy Institute has a reception > scheduled at our hotel to > allow the participants to mix and network. The speakers who made > presentations earlier in the day > are there so we can mix with them and find out more about the research > they are doing in their > respective laboratories. The group is quite congenial and you can tell by > the smiles that the > conversation is very pleasant. Some members in the group have furrowed > brows as they talk about the > challenges ahead of us not only in the laboratory, but also in the US > Congress and numerous state > legislatures. I shook hands with a gentleman who I think is Dr Robert > Beckman who is from Toronto, > Canada. I have my camera in my hand and he says "We need to get Bernie > over here and get a picture > with him and his lovely wife, Sheryl." I watch Robert race across the room > and grab Bernie from what > appeared to be an engaged conversation and drag Bernie away so we can get > a picture. Robert puts his > arm around Sheryl with Bernie on the other side and I snap the shutter. > The picture is great. I > stroll though the crowd taking pictures and pick up bits of conversations. > "What are you doing in > your community to get folks to support stem cell research?" and "Do you > think your legislator will > support that legislation to criminalize stem cell research? Can you get > the bill killed?" and "Can > you believe Dr. Hwang's presentation today? I can't believe Bernie got him > to come here for this > conference in Houston and talk to us about his discoveries." It really is > surrealistic. > > > > Bernie shouts above the crowd, "It's time to come into the meeting room to > have dinner." It's past > 8:00 and we are getting kind of hungry. Lunch was a long time ago. I am > still amazed at the > impressive group in the room. There are a number of premier scientists, > researchers, ethicists and > stem cell advocates of our time here eating dinner together in Houston. > And we are getting a chance > to visit with them on a personal level. They are folks just like us.... > well almost like us. Once > again there is much laughter, many smiles and spirited conversation. The > baked chicken dinner is > very good after a long day of exceptional presentations. I am sitting at a > table with Idelle Datlof, > the Executive Director of the Stem Cell Action Network, her daughter > Liana, Dr. Paul Fehlner and > Peter Ludwig, patent attorneys who will talk to us tomorrow, Dr Bill > Brinkley who is the Dean of the > Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Baylor College of Medicine and > two researchers who work > with Dr Hwang. I congratulate Dr Brinkley on the incredible support his > staff has given GPI and > myself during the conference. Bernie told me how helpful they were in > helping him make the Summit > such a success. > > > > After dinner, Bernie stands at the front table where five beautiful, what > appear to be, cut glass > awards are located. He says to us "This is a day you can tell your grand > children about. Today you > will witness the awarding of the first Genetics Policy Institute's Special > Honors to some very > deserving people." He told us about a group of folks in Texas called > Texans for the Advancement of > Medical Research (TAMR). He told us how they took on the opponents of stem > cell research in the > Texas legislature and kept some really bad legislation from passing. He > then gave the Grass Roots > Advocacy Award to the TAMR Board of Directors. The award was received by > the immediate Past > President, Beckie McCleery and the Current President Judy Haley. There are > two dynamic ladies who > have accomplished much in the home state of our President despite his > opposition. They were very > gracious in their acceptance speech telling us there is still a lot to do. > Beckie mentioned that she > was so happy abpout the accomplishments of our South Korean brothers and > sisters and that we are > cheering them on to future cures. > > > > Bernie then told us about the achievements of the National Achievement > Award winner, the Coalition > for the Advancement of Medical Research. This group was very influential > in helping sway the > delegations at United Nations against supporting a total ban on embryonic > stem cell research world > wide which was promoted by the Bush Administration. I am told that the > administration was extremely > unhappy. Dan Perry accepted the award and commented that CAMR would carry > on the fight to support > stem cell research. > > > > The Patient Advocacy Award was given to Daniel Heumann who was paralyzed > in a terrible car crash > when he was eighteen years old. He is now a motivational speaker who makes > presentations across the > United States on stem cell research, one of which was made at the UN when > Bernie was asked to > present the truth on issues related to stem cell research last year. > Bernie told us all about the > accomplishments Daniel has had and what an inspiration he has been for > many people. > > > > Bernie then told us about a person that he felt was extremely influential > on numerous fronts to help > things happen in the stem cell research arena. The award is called the > Science and Public Policy > Impact Award and it was given to Dr. Gerald Schatten. Bernie told us that > his personality was such > that he could get things accomplished that other people only dream of > accomplishing. You could tell > that Bernie valued Dr Schatten's friendship and for what he had done. You > would think that these two > fellows were brothers the way they were talking. Dr Schatten thanked > Bernie and told us that we are > on the verge of some great discoveries and that the hope for cures will > become reality. He stressed > that the laboratories abroad are moving ahead toward those discoveries and > he mentioned the strong > bond that he and Dr. Hwang had established and that he looked forward to > much collaboration with Dr. > Hwang and the South Korean researchers in the near future. > > > > The last award was the GPI Global Achievement Award. This was given to Dr. > Woo Suk Hwang of South > Korea. Bernie listed his vast accomplishments. They were so many we > wondered when Dr Hwang had any > time to sleep. We were all so proud of what Dr. Hwang had accomplished to > date, and yet when Dr > Hwang took the podium, you could tell that he was not going to rest on his > laurels. Dr Hwang had a > very serious tone of voice and a furrowed brow. He said "Thank you very > much for this award, but > there is still very much work to do. We cannot wait for cures for some > terrible diseases that plague > millions of people. We cannot wait a year, we cannot wait a month, we > cannot wait a day or an hour > or a second! We must stay focused on our goal to find cures. Our patients > don't have any time to > wait." The flashbulbs were blinding and the video cameras were running. As > Bernie said, this was > truly an historic day. After Dr. Hwang finished speaking, most of the > attendees moved patiently to > shake his hand and get a picture with him. I was no different. I handed my > camera to a new stem cell > advocate I just met this morning who was now my friend. He took my picture > with Dr Hwang. This is a > picture I will add to my desk at the office. What A Weekend! And the > conference is not even done > yet. It's now almost 11:00 PM and breakfast will start the day tomorrow at > the Baylor Medical School > at 7:30 AM. Bernie has more presentations for us. > > > > ____________________________________________________________________ > > > > As I write this journal in the Atlanta airport at 10:30 PM, I am told that > my plane has been delayed > three hours. I am exhausted and yet enthused about the weekend I just > experienced. I don't think I > will ever forget it. Tomorrow I go back to the office and play the role of > an engineer I play during > the day and tomorrow night I will once again turn into a Stem Cell > Advocate. > > > > ____________________________________________________________________ > > > > P. S. I want to especially thank Bernie Siegel for putting this conference > together and his very > capable staff: Sabrina Cohen, Eve Herold and Shane Smith. We hope that > another Summit like this one > will be on Bernie's schedule for next year. > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: > mailto:[log in to unmask] > In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn