hi all and hi helen
i hope you don't mind my 'neatening' this
i think it's a great article
janet
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Date: Thu, 8 Jul 1999
From: Helen Mason <[log in to unmask]>
Subj: possible newspaper article
Hi,
Below is an article that I am sending to local newspapers. Please feel free
to use it or any part of it. You can substitute names if you like.
PARKINSON'S DISEASE ADVOCATE GOES TO WASHINGTON D.C.
The Willamette-Columbia Parkinsonian Society ("Will-Cope" of Oregon and
southern Washington state) recently sent a representative to Washington
D.C. to alert Congress members to the need for fully funding of the Udall
Act for Parkinson's disease research.
The Udall Act was passed into law in 1997 but has not yet been funded for
specific Parkinson's research as intended.
The last week of June 1999 found Parkinson's disease advocates walking and
riding the halls of elected officials in Washington, asking that the Udall
Act for Parkinson's research be fully funded in the year 2000.
Many were riding in wheelchairs because they are no longer able to walk;
many of the others walking used canes.
Currently there are over one million afflicted with this neurological
disease in the US alone.
Parkinson's is a neurological disease that ultimately robs those afflicted
of movement and speech and is caused by the progressive loss of a
neurological chemical called dopamine. It is progressive, degenerative and
has been considered incurable, until recently.
Scientists have expressed optimism about Parkinson's disease being the one
neurological disease which realistically could be considered curable in the
near future, and that the research thus obtained would likely lead to cures
for other degenerative neurological diseases, such as Alzheimer's and
Multiple Sclerosis.
According to Dr. Ole Isacson of Harvard, Parkinson's costs America an
estimated $25 billion a year. Costs are spread among afflicted families,
health and disability benefit providers, SSI, SSDI, Medicare and Medicaid.
The following facts about Parkinson's disease were presented to our
national legislators:
* Of the one million Americans currently afflicted thirty percent of those
are under age fifty.
* Approximately three million more Americans have at risk, pre-symptomatic
dopamine cell loss.
* One person is diagnosed with Parkinson's every nine minutes in America.
* The National Institute of Health (NIH) has not fulfilled the promise of
the Udall Act - funding falls far short of what Congress required.
* Evaluations of NIH spending for Parkinson's disease research for the last
two years by leading Parkinson researchers show that NIH spends far less
than it has reported spending on direct Parkinsons's research.
* Only Congress can ensure that the NIH program is adequately funded by
designating the proper funds for Parkinson's focused research.
Oregon legislator Darlene Hooley was asked to do all she can to see that
the Udall Act is fully funded for direct Parkinson's research.
Senators Wyden and Smith and Representative David Wu have signed a letter
to the head of the National Institute, Dr. Varmus, asking that the Udall
money when approved be spent on Parkinson's focused research.
Will Cope will continue to visit, write and phone legislators until better
treatments, medications and a cure are found.
For more information on Will-Cope please call 503 413-7717 or 800 485-7384.
Helen Mason BSN
1999/07/08
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janet paterson
52 now / 41 dx / 37 onset
snail-mail: PO Box 171 Almonte Ontario K0A 1A0 Canada
website: a new voice <http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Village/6263/>
e-mail: <[log in to unmask]>
