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Charlotte Mancuso wrote: > Dear Senator Feinstein: > > I am forwarding the letter to the editor that I submitted to and that appeared today in the San Jose > Mercury. The undersigned were as follows; however the paper prints the principal author only: > > Charlotte Mancuso, and the Young Parkinson Support Group of Palo Alto; > Diana Preice, Leader of the Los Altos Support Group; > Early Onset Group of Walnut Creek, Dave Alexander, Leader; > Kim Furlan, Seton, Support Groups in Daly City, Redwood City, and San Mateo. > Sid Levin of Marin County > > I urge you once more to do everything in your power, along with other senators on both sides of the > aisle, to support fully funding focused Parkinson's Disease research. Senator Feinstein, please add > Parkinson's Disease to your many health care achievements for the sake of California, the Nation, > and for the millions who suffer from this devastating disease and their families. > ///////////// > > Fund more research > > CONGRESS will soon vote on appropriations for medical research > under Health and Human Services. The Udall Act, enacted in 1997, > authorizes $100 million on research focused on Parkinson's disease. > To date, only 40 percent has been spent on Parkinson's disease. The > rest has been spent on unrelated research. Some medical research > funding is focused up to 99 percent. If fully funded, the Udall Act > would correct these disparities. > > Parkinson's disease costs taxpayers $25 billion a year, not counting > the huge loss of productivity and intense suffering that it inflicts. This > annual calamity is far costlier than most natural disasters, and no less > so than more publicized diseases. > > Over 1 million Americans suffer with Parkinson's disease, and over > 1,000 people a week are diagnosed with this cruel, fatal disease. > Over a third are under 50, some as young as 10. > > My mother was 41, I was 49, and three others in my family were > over 60 when diagnosed. Mom died of this progressive disease at 67 > because she could no longer swallow, move or speak. We were > giving her 24-hour care before I was age 5. > > As a caretaker and now as a patient, I know that advanced > Parkinson's is as devastating as Alzheimer's, and often worse. > > Californians should write or e-mail Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a member > of the Health and Human Services subcommittee, to urge action. > > Charlotte Mancuso > > Young Parkinson Support Group > Palo Alto