Dear Friends
Won't you join me in supporting ESCR by responding to the NIH call for comments? For your convenience I have prepared a sample letter you can edit and adjust to personalize it, as PAN's suggested comments are kind of long and confusing.
Tonight I watched more of the Alzheimer's Project on HBO and am more convinced than ever that we must prevent obstacles to research from being placed in the way of scientists.
The human toll of disease is just staggering and we should not wait to act while we still can.
Ray
NIH comment site: http://nihoerextra.nih.gov/stem_cells/add.htm
Parkinson's disease exacts a devastating toll on people and their families. I know because I have been caregiver to my wife for well over a decade/have suffered from Parkinson's for _____ years/am a friend of someone who suffers from the disease. . Embryonic stem cell research offers her/me/milliions hope for a better future and the final NIH Guidelines should not create new bureaucratic obstacles that will slow the pace of desperately needed progress.
While it is commendable that the guidelines, Section 11 B, would permit the use of excess IVF embryos for research, federal funding of stem cell lines derived from other sources such as somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) should be encouraged, not prohibited.
The final guidelines should include a grandfather clause, enabling scientists to build on progress that has already been made and allowing federal funds for research using all stem cell lines created by following ethical practices at the time they were derived.
Please don't compromise my wife's/our/my health by restricting scientists. We/she/I deserves/need the best treatment science can provide.
Rayilyn Brown
Director AZNPF
Arizona Chapter National Parkinson Foundation
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