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also has the advantage over 20/20 because her show is an hour long, not just
a 20 minute segment.  But Hey!  First Oprah, next 20/20, then a prime time
press conference on national TV.  We can't afford to think small.

One suggestion re Oprah: I think it would be  good to focus on things people
do not know about PD.  For example, do many people realize that people can
get PD in their 20's and 30's?  Perhaps a focus on young onset PWPs would be
a good "hook" to get people interested.  Are people aware of the latest
directions in brain research, which will affect not only PWPs, but those
suffering from MS, ALS, Huntington's and Alzheimer's Diseases and even
paralysis?  A research scientist would be a good addition to the show to
discuss what the future might hold.

If you need participants, I could be packed in 15 minutes.  My "hook" is that
I was an entrepreneur who started a small business manufacturing gift ware,
mostly angels.  This was in 1980 when angels had nowhere near the popularity
that angel merchandise has today.  We sold nationally to retail stores and
catalogues by means of sales reps and Gift Shows.  Some of our
African-American customers asked us to make black angels because, "everyone
thinks that angels only come with blonde hair and blue eyes" .  Black angels
became !/3 of our business and, to my knowledge, we were the first company to
make black angels (which, incidently, Oprah collects).  The slowness of
movement I experienced as a result of PD and rigidity in my right hand made
it impossible to work effectively in designing the angels and putting on the
finishing touches, so I was forced to close, laying off 11 employees and
about 20 independent contractors.  If it would help, I'd be happy to send one
of my black angels to Oprah to sweeten your proposal.

We have writers, poets, artists, doctors, nurses, engineers, researchers,
librarians, teachers, etc., on the list,  Each one of us has a story to tell
about how PD has impacted our lives.  If you were to post your story to the
list and Stan were to write a synopsis of the stories to send to the Oprah
Show, perhaps we could put a face on PD at last and we would no longer be
invisible.

Sorry to ramble on so long.
Mary Sheehan