thank you, Ellen, for your kindness. I would do anything I could for the PD community Ray Rayilyn Brown Director AZNPF Arizona Chapter National Parkinson Foundation [log in to unmask] -------------------------------------------------- From: "Ellen Luhman" <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Sunday, February 01, 2009 3:36 AM To: <[log in to unmask]> Subject: Re: Three Women Warriors > Thank you for all your work, Ray. > > Ellen > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: rayilynlee <[log in to unmask]> > To: [log in to unmask] > Sent: Sat, 31 Jan 2009 5:02 am > Subject: Three Women Warriors > > > > > > > > > > My friend Don Reed had this in Daily Kos last month. He is key player in > Prop 71 for California. The government recently gave the OK to the first > human embryonic stem cell trials in California which target spinal cord > injuries. Don's son, Roman, has long been paralyzed due to spinal cord > injury. > > > Three Women Warriors > > by diverdonreed > > Tue Dec 30, 2008 at 03:40:43 AM PST > > THREE WOMEN WARRIORS > > "...and the female of the species is more deadly than the male..." > > -Rudyard Kipling > > I don't know about the "deadly" part, but I have been fortunate indeed to > have worked with a great many strong women: Gloria, of course, who > brightens > my life every day with her power and wisdom; Karen Miner, whose endless > willingness to work is a continual nudge to anyone tempted to get lazy; > and > my sister Patty, gone now, but an early pioneer in the computer science > field, and a person who could always find the good in every one. > > Today, I would like to give a small shout-out to three dedicated > advocates: > film-maker Jessica Gerstle, martial artist Jennifer Longdon, and Rayilyn > Brown, fighter extraordinaire. > > > The movie-maker first: here is your official invitation from Jessica > Gerstle. > > After a > bicycle accident left Dr. Claude Gerstle paralyzed from the neck > down, he and his daughter Jessica discover hope in stem cell research. The > Accidental Advocate is a wheelchair odyssey of a father and daughter > tracking down the leading stem cell scientists, politicians, crusaders and > nay-sayers, in order to understand the promise of stem cell research and > why > a political quagmire is stalling a cure. > > The Director of the film will be in attendance for a Q&A after the > screening. > > The Film premiered at the Democratic and Republican Conventions as part of > the Impact Film Festival. You can read more about the film at > www.theaccidentaladvocate.com > > *Tickets will be available through the theatre website after January 5th > > Dear Don, > > Happy Holidays! > > I have organized a roll out of The Accidental Advocate, my documentary > about > the stem cell debate, which I am calling "One Night Only!" > > This January, for One Night Only, The Accidental Advocate will be shown in > theaters across the country and at rehabilitation hospitals. As you know, > President-elect Obama has indicated that advancing stem cell research will > be a priority for his Administration, and we expect him to act quickly > through an Executive Order and Congressional legislation after the > inauguration. But this does not inform the public about the issues and > will > certainly re-ignite the controversy. The Accidental Advocate's nationwide > coordinated screening is timed to engage audiences and policymakers to > suppo > rt effective stem cell policy, and to pre-emptively refute the > opposition's inflammatory rhetoric and attempts to confuse the public. > > Showing the film in 15 cities at once will add to the informed debate > about > this country's emerging healthcare crisis and the future of regenerative > medicine. My goal is to pack the theaters with politically intelligent > audiences including patient advocates, scientists, politicians, > researchers, > doctors, and religious leaders, who are familiar with grassroots advocacy > and the stem cell debate. Please share this announcement with the local > chapters of disease organizations like JDRF, ALZ, PAN or Hadassah or > research and medical hospitals that would send out the press release and > invite. The national headquarters have already put me in touch with many > of > the chapter presidents. > > The kick off screening will be on January 12th in Washington D.C. followed > by a discussion panel which I will videotape and make available to host on > the web. Most of the other screenings will be on the same night, January > 14th, 2009 at 7pm. The other cities are: Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, > Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Houston, LA, Minneapolis, St. Louis, San Diego, > Santa Fe, Seattle, Washington D.C. > > Given the current economic climate, I am not asking for a donation to help > us put on the event, but tickets for the screening will be $10, and will > go > towards the costs of the screening. The tickets will be purchased directly > through the Landmark Theatre website and at20the box office after January > 5th. > > I hope you will be able to help me publicize the screenings. Let me also > know if you can help me reach out to press contacts to build interest in > this event. I can provide a press kit after the holidays, but would like > to > begin the process of identifying solid press leads: TV, newspaper and > online. From now until January 5, I am trying to get organizations to put > a > notification about the upcoming event on the homepage of their website > and/or under the events tab. Feel free to put up the notification on your > Facebook, MySpace or blog. > > On January 5, advanced tickets can be purchased through the link on my > website: www.theaccidentaladvocate.com and on the Landmark Theatres site. > I > will have a press release and new launch of my website with a trailer. On > January 12th, we will be having a screening and panel discussion in > Washington, D.C. to kick-off the week and draw in the media. > > Please feel free to send out the flyer. There is a short synopsis for you > at > the end of the e-mail and you can read a recent review: > http://blog.newsweek.com/... or you can visit the website: > www.theaccidentaladvocate.com. > > Sincerely, > > Jessica Gerstle > > ABOUT THE FILM: > > When Claude Gerstle, a surgeon and athlete, suffers a tragic bicycle > accident that leaves him paralyzed from the neck down, he and his > daughter, > Jessica, discover hope in the politicized area of science called stem > cells. > "The Accide > ntal Advocate" is a wheelchair odyssey of a father and daughter > who track down the thinkers, the politicians, the crusaders and the > naysayers in an effort to understand the promise and potential of the > science and why a political quagmire is stalling a cure. By way of > background, Jessica was at NBC News for 12 years, mostly producing for > Dateline NBC and left the network three years ago to independently produce > this documentary. She employed her dad as her correspondent and they > traveled the country to meet "A" list scientists driving the research and > interviewed everyone from Dr. Jamie Thomson to Michael J. Fox to Arnold > Schwarzenegger. They spent time interviewing politicians on both sides of > the aisle and went right into the East Room of the White House. The film > premiered at the Democratic and Republican Conventions as part of the > Impact > Film Festival. > > > Our second woman warrior is Jennifer Longdon. A black belt practitioner of > Tae Quan Do, Jennifer became paralyzed after being shot in the back by an > unknown assailant. > > Despite major health problems associated with paralysis (I was seriously > afraid we were going to lose her, earlier this year) she has fought back > to > the advocates' field of engagement-the endless struggle to raise funds for > research for cure, in this case, the Reeve-Irvine Research Center. > > Here is a letter from Jennifer about her latest adventure-complete with a > press release about another martial artist, her teacher, volunteerin > g to do > a 13.1 mile wheelchair marathon with her, although he is able-bodied-check > it out. > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > > Dear Friends, > > > A year ago I began a fundraising effort to personally raise $1,000 for > spinal cord injury research. I challenged 10 friends to do the same. > We've > had varying levels of success. > > First, thanks to those who elected to participate. Thank you to all who > contributed and very special thanks to Susan & David, Kumar, Marty and > Richard for reaching the goal with individual pledges. My own efforts > have > fallen short due in large part to a very serious illness this past spring > that nearly took my life. I am fully recovered and back on track. > > On January 18, 2009 I will push my first half-marathon (the PF Chang Rock > and Roll Marathon), all 13.1 miles of it. It's hard to believe that just > 4 > months ago, I could not push to the mail box and a trip around the block > was > impossible. > > So I am begging for sponsors. Will you consider pledging? And, if you act > now, I'll give you the 1/10th of a mile gratis. ? $5 per mile is just > $65. > $10 a mile is fantastic! "Flat" pledges of any amount ($25, $50, $75 or > MORE) are also welcome. I am grateful for whatever you can pledge. > > This has been a year of great victories and deep loss. Just days ago, > another friend died a death he would not have faced if not for his spinal > cord injury. The shock and grief have been a m > ental setback. I'll be racing > for those like Patrick who have alternatively pushed me and held me up > when > I could not. > > Every dollar raised will go directly to the researchers at the > Reeve-Irvine > Research Center who work to treat and cure a host of neuro-degenerative > disorders. There have been great strides made since my visit to the lab > almost a year ago. I am more confident than ever that we're on the right > track. > > I'll even be so bold to say that I believe that the next 18 months will > see the start of human clinical trials and breath-taking announcements as > we > move closer and closer to a treatment for neuro-degenerative disorders > including spinal cord injury. > > To contribute, either e-mail me with your pledge challenge or make a > contribution here. http://jenlongdon.chipin.com/... I'll update you on > my > results ASAP following the race on January 18th. > > Jennifer Longdon > > 602.738.1227 > > Area Martial Artist Sits Down For Those Who Cannot Stand Up. > > Accepting the challenge of a student, Sr. Master Mark Kaup-Lee will > compete > in the PF Chang Rock N Roll Half Marathon in a wheelchair. A 7th degree > black belt and owner of 5 area martial arts academies, Kaup-Lee was > challenged by his student, Jennifer Longdon, herself paralyzed, to > complete > the 13.1 mile race as she will; in a wheel chair. > > The pair will raise money for spinal cord injury research. Longdon, an > area > martial artist and student of Kaup-Lee's sustain > ed her spinal cord injury > more than four years ago in a still-unsolved shooting. Longdon was riding > in a vehicle driven by her then-fiancé, David Rueckert, when the pair was > shot multiple times by an unknown assailant. Rueckert was shot in the > head; > Longdon was shot in the back. > > Kaup-Lee was helping Longdon with her training when she groused "You think > it's so easy? You strap 50 pounds to your back and race 13 miles on your > hands." Kaup-Lee in that instant agreed. "It's not the same for me." > Kaup-Lee explains "I have control of my balance and core muscles in a way > that a paraplegic like Ms. Longdon does not. But it's still pretty > challenging." Kaup-Lee's first taste of the difficulty faced by those > with > spinal cord injuries came when he was training with Longdon one morning. > "He flew up a hill while I chugged along behind. When he reached the top > I > told him to try it again without using his abs. It was a little more > challenging the second time." Longdon teased. > > While wheel chair competitors are not, in themselves, new or noteworthy; > Kaup-Lee and Longdon will not participate in the racing chair division but > in the standard division. "We'll be using regular wheelchairs weighing > between 40 and 50 pounds instead of the lighter racing chairs." Kaup-Lee > explains. "Ms. Longdon cannot get in and out of the racing chair any more > without assistance." > > The pair hopes to each raise $2,500 for the Reeve Irvine Research Cen > ter. > Donations can be made through http://masterlee.chipin.com/... or > http://jenlongdon.chipin.com/... or checks made payable to Research for > Cure > may be sent to Lee's Black Belt Academy, 715 W Baseline Rd Tempe, AZ > 85283. > Note "Lee" or "Longdon" in the memo. > > > And last but never least, please say hello to one of advocacy's most > dedicated fighters, Rayilyn "Ray" Brown. > > > Have you ever read an article on line that just infuriated you? Nowadays, > many articles contain comment lines, so you can respond-but that takes > effort and time, and most of us leave it to somebody else. > > Not Ray. Despite having a life-and-death personal battle with Parkinson's, > she takes the time to make a difference. For example: whenever I have > asked > readers of this column to write a letter or email to a Senator to support > stem cell research, a favor I ask far too many times-I know most people > will > be too busy to actually respond, if I get one out ten, that is a lot, > probably the best I can hope for-but always, always, Ray comes through. I > know she does, because she emails me a copy of her letter. > > She also answers negative attacks on the field, as below, when someone > opposed our research on religious grounds, in a long letter saying among > other things that scientists were "playing God" with human lives. First, > the opposition viewpoint, (which gently puts supporters of research in the > company of Nazis, and suggests our afterlife destination): > > "No human=2 > 0being ever developed from anything other than a human embryo. No > human embryo ever developed into anything other than a human being. > Therefore, does it matter where in its development stage we define "life" > since whenever we eliminate the embryo we have definitively eliminated the > human being into which it would have developed? Whether it is worth the > cost > of one human life to prolong the life of another should be left up to the > person whose life is thus to be eliminated. And that means one had better > wait a bit. > > "And if one decides to go down the road of "that life is not/will not be > worth living" as justification for using the embryo as a source for what > could truly be miracle cures, one will find it is not so much a road as a > slippery slope, at the bottom of which is eugenics in the finest > traditions > of Nazi ideology. You know what they say about the road to hell ..." > (emphasis added). > > > To which Ray responded: > > "Blastocysts are not people. > > You say, "whenever we eliminate the embryo we have definitively eliminated > the human being into which it would have developed? Whether it is worth > the > cost of one human life to prolong the life of another should be left up to > the person whose life is thus to be eliminated..." > > Those of us who support embryonic stem cell research do not believe a > blastocyst is a person any more than an acorn is an oak tree. Every seed > does not become a plant nor does every bl > astocyst become a person unless the > conditions of implantation and successful development until live birth > occur > are met. Not all seeds sprout. You cannot "ask" a blastocyst whether it > is worth using it for research because it is a few microscopic > undifferentiated human cells that, will NEVER, if left alone in a petri > dish become anything. > > What you are doing is protecting cellular human life - seeds - at the > expense of actual persons whose lives have been destroyed by disease or > injury and are not asking that their lives be "prolonged" but made > bearable. > > I can't think of anyone who would favor destroying people for research. > But > cells are not people. They are potential life. ALL cells are, not just > germ cells. > > Are scientists playing "God" by manipulating cells? ... many people > believe > God gave man the gift of intelligence to heal suffering... > > I would suggest that if you oppose life saving research you rely solely on > prayer and let the rest of us have the benefits of science. > > - > > -Rayilyn Brown > > Director AZNPF > > Arizona Chapter National Parkinson Foundation > > > Three women. Three warriors. Three friends. > > Source: Daily Kos > > > Rayilyn Brown > > Director AZNPF > > Arizona Chapter National Parkinson Foundation > > [log in to unmask] > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: > mailto:[log in to unmask] > > In the body of the20message 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 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn