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Jacob...

Yup... I was indeed joking (smile) and really had no idea what drug was being
referred to.

Regarding M. Ali.... ya know, so far he's really the first "world-class"
celebrity to go out into the public venue and not only say he has PD but has
encouraged the press to acknowledge AND discuss the disease in public. That
open discussion to a world-wide audience is SO vitally important to all of us.

Mind you, I suspect if Ali's disease wasn't so brutally OBVIOUS to anyone
seeing him,  more likely than not the issue wouldn't be brought up at all.
But since his every appearance presents him as a stiff, wooden-like,
blank-faced, silent figure with a tremor, it's always mentioned immediately
when he's before the camera that he's got a "normal" IQ, his sense of humor is
intact, and he can think just as he always has... and that the DISEASE has
given him this look.

If Janet Reno, the Parkie US Attorney General. looked and acted like M. Ali
SHE'D be out of a job!   And... if any of US looked and acted like Ali in the
workplace, WE would be out of a job... (heck... we'd always be late to work
anyway 'cause it would take us 4 hours to just button a shirt!) <rueful grin>
But M. Ali has made being a "good will ambassador" HIS job, and in doing that,
has brought PD to the world's attention.

So for being open about his PD, and for going out amongst the masses and
carrying the message that to live with a chronic disease doesn't make one any
less of a human being, but rather simply means we have additional
life-problems on our respective and collective plates, I salute Ali.  He's
done more for the Parkinson's Disease cause since the last Olympic Games with
his many public appearances than all the rest of the "world-class" celebrities
put together!

(Barb tips virtual hat at M. Ali in salute)

Barb Mallut
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-----Original Message-----
From:   Parkinson's Information Exchange  On Behalf Of Jacob Drollinger
Sent:   Wednesday, April 16, 1997 2:19 PM
To:     Multiple recipients of list PARKINSN
Subject:        Re: FW: Ali on AJ

Dear Barb,

I know you were joking when you said "Sinemet." However, to restore what
little faith we have in the media; it really is GPI-1046. He is not taking it
yet, but I wouldn't be too surprised if they were giving it to him secretly,
because he is a pubic figure (He said with an even more rueful grin. Why do
these things take so long. I would say keep their mouths shut, and when all
the trials are finished, then let us have it. But please don't tell us a
"Cure is on the way", and then say, "It may be ten years until you can have
it." I can just see 'em, laughing their heads off.