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Can't believe I haven't run out of words! Well, I guess those who know me wouldn't be surprised! Here's another "shell" for you to consider when you write to your congressman about Udall. Barb Brock Return address Date The Honorable _____________________ United States House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515 Dear Mr. _____________: Parkinson's Disease, a progressive neuro-degenerative disease characterized by tremor, slowness and poverty of movement, gait, postural, and balance disturbances, voice and fluency problems, unwanted movement (a side effect of long term L-Dopa usage), and vision and cognitive disturbances, affects between one and two million people in the United States today. By the time symptoms rear their ugly heads, between 80% and 90% of the dopamine producing brain cells responsible for movement have either died or become dormant. In scientific circles, there is great debate over this. Sadly, there is no way yet of predicting who will fall victim to Parkinson's Disease. While scientists know more about Parkinson's than any other neuro-degenerative disease, many questions await inquiry. The Dana Alliance on Brain Initiatives has termed Parkinson's "one of the brightest spots in brain research" and, yet, the disease remains disproportionately under-funded in comparison to other diseases. This is because NIH's inter-Institute funding priorities, which are often bureaucratic and political themselves, continue to overlook promising research, such as Parkinson's, regardless of scientific merit. In an attempt to right this wrong, the Morris K. Udall Act for Parkinson's Research and Education was passed in November. The Parkinson's community and those of us who care about these citizens were overjoyed, thinking that, at long last, $100 Million a year (the approved funding level) would be dedicated to Parkinson's research and education, but it was not to be-not without a fight! And the pitiful thing is that many in this community are too weak to fight, their voices stilled by the ravages of the disease. I am extremely concerned about the future of our nation's health and national security. We cannot afford the loss of $25 Billion (the cost of Parkinson's in 1994, according to a Duke University study) when for $100 Million a year, we could be doing something about it. We cannot afford to become a nation of ill people and their caregivers. How WILL we maintain our status as a world power when the "Baby Boomers" reach age 57, the average age of diagnosis for Parkinson's? What will our world and that of our children be like if we do not adopt a proactive stance now? I shudder to think! You can help. Please use all of your influence to fully fund Udall to the approved level of $100 Million a year. Sincerely,