^^^^^^WARM GREETINGS FROM^^^^^^^^^^
Ivan Suzman 48/11 [log in to unmask]
Portland, Maine land of lighthouses 38 deg. F first crocuses trying
to open
***********************************************************
John McLaughlin
Office of U.S. Representative Tom Allen
Oxford Street
Portland, Maine 04101
Dear John,
First, let me say thank you VERY much, for your willingness to help the
emerging Parkinson's Disease community, by tracking down both Rep.
Allen's and my own letters, which were sent to President Clinton in
February, and are not yet answered. With the APDA estimate of 3500
persons per Congressional District who suffer from Parkinson's, our
outcry for help truly needs emergency attention.
After you called me this morning, the NEXT message on the World
Parkinson's e-mail List(1660 members), was "An Urgent Request for Help!"
from the List's Canadian founder, about a woman with Parkinson's who is
hospitalized after TWO SUICIDE ATTEMPTS THIS WEEK.
John, nothing could illustrate more clearly our DESPARATE need for
IMMEDIATE help. Aggressive action to FULLY FUND the Udall Parkinson's Act
would be a HUGE breakthrough for the Parkinson's community, and even that
would just be a beginning. For example, in Maine, there are no (ZERO)
Parkinson's clinics. There are only general neurology practitioners.
I am not immune to the dangers of the disease. Exactly one week ago, I
went through unstoppable tremors while alone, was trapped in a "freeze"
in the armchair in my sitting room, and had to press "O" for operator.
She called 9-1-1, and the ambulance team, itself with no training in
Parkinson's, tried to help me through a crisis that included
hypothermia, medicines that just would not work, anxiety, and
exhaustion.
Please do what you can. And thank you VERY MUCH for your willingness
to come to our first-ever Maine Celebration of World Parkinson's Day on
April 11th. There is SO MUCH to be done.
Sincerely
yours,
Ivan Suzman
Maine 1998
Parkinson's Awareness Spokesperson
Member, New
England PWP Udall Steering Committee
copy posted to World Parkinson's e-mail List
