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----- Original Message ----- From: "rayilynlee" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Friday, December 29, 2006 11:28 AM Subject: Wish from Idelle at SCAN RAYILYNLEE I DO NOT KNOW HOW TO ANSWER U AS I SAID I WILL BE 83 PWP 39 YEARS I NEVER ASKED ANY 1 WHAT THEY BELIED U GOT 1 STEM CELL IT WONT HELP ME I NEVER SAY THE MEDS I TAKE ALL I ASKED WS TO HAVE BELIE IN SOME TING THE NEW THING THAT IS HEADD FOR ME I WILL NEVER KNOW U SAY SINCE 1978 U NOT SAW A GOOD DAY ME GOOD DAY IS TO SEE THE WORLD AGAIN ME I SAY HAVE HAVE THE BEST OF THE YEAR U CAN LOT LAUGH AT ME OTHER SAY U SAY FUNEST THING AND THE BEST. ALL I CAN TELL U HOPE TO C U ON LINE NEXT YEAR AT THIS TIME GOOD OR BAD WE A LIVE SO TILL THEN IN JOY WHAT U LIVE GIVES (flash) > SCAN UPDATES: > - We are putting the finishing touches on StemBlog, the site to network > advocacy groups. We have already signed up eight organizations, and will > begin a campaign to enlist many more partners. Go to www.stemblog.net and > take a peek. Want to suggest a group to become part of the network? > Contact > me at [log in to unmask] with their web address. If you are part of > such a group, please contact me to ask any questions. > - We have received two excellent nominations for SCAN's "Advocacy > Champions > of 2006". Please send the names to me of other individuals who have > tirelessly served our cause during the past year. > - We will be sending out the names of members of the House of > Representatives and a sample letter to target for HR 810. > - Please include SCAN in your end-of-year list of donations. > Thank you. > > December 29, 2006 > Dear SCAN Members, > We're all probably familiar with the dilemma of is it OK to say 'Merry > Christmas' or should I be inclusive and just say 'Happy Holidays'?. Well, > if > you've figured out how you want to handle that one, don't relax just yet > because I've got another one for you to chew on. Is it OK to wish me a > "Happy and Healthy New Year" when I haven't had a healthy year since 1978, > and don't think that the state of my health is going to dramatically > improve > in '07? > The political correctness argument that is the source of the "Don't say > "Christmas", say "Holidays" quarrel concerns the risk of seeming > insensitive > to differences when one communicates with someone, who, for example, is > not > a Christian. In a similar way, is it appropriate or considerate to wish > me, > or the millions of others with life-threatening diseases, a "Healthy New > Year"? It's a lovely thought, but to smile and accept it graciously we are > required to collude with either the outright denial of our condition or > accept the vague idea that somehow, something magical might happen to make > this wish come true. > The truth is that I was pretty resigned to being a good sport and to keep > quiet during all the years when there wasn't much hope of a treatment or > cure in the cards. But now, when stem cell research has put many of the > key > puzzles of basic science on the working agenda instead of "for dreamers > only" I find that passivity isn't so comfortable anymore. > I do understand that the wish is well-intentioned, but as a non-Christian > I > often feel uneasy accepting Christmas wishes; as a person with multiple > sclerosis, I appreciate the thought of a healthy year, but the wish feels > hollow, misplaced. I'd prefer that the well-wishers think more carefully > about what it's like to live with a serious illness, every day, and to > have > to stand by and watch while politicians make decisions that affects the > funding and thus the time frame of treatments, even cures. > So what's the better choice? > - Instead of sending me a card, donate the cost and the postage to > research. > - Ask me how you can help. > - Be informed about the laws in your state that support research or limit > it. > - Write letters to Congress when asked. > - Get involved: exchange empty wishes for targeted advocacy. > - Don't ask me to pretend that I'm just like you, when I'm not. > And by the way, here is my number one wish for '07: > I wish that everyone with an illness that could be helped by stem cell > research finds a way to connect with the rest of the 100 million potential > beneficiaries and that together we create a force to be reckoned with. > Do you think this can be done? Let me know. > Idelle Datlof > Executive Director > Stem Cell Action Network > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > 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