Hi Paul: This is beautifully written and eloquently speaks to the desperate need for the research that can find a cure NOW. We don't have the luxury of time. Carole H. --- P&B Fahr <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > List members: > I did not add my comments to this discussion sooner > because I wanted my initial emotions to subside > before > writing and editing my response. I do not wish to > cause > new members of the list to be discouraged but I > believe > that there are appropriate times for a dose of > reality > when it comes to PD. The most recent I recall on > the > list was the > discussion of whether the explanation of the 5 > Stages of > PD should have been posted. > > The members of this list have a very wide range of > PD > symptoms and some have been fortunate to have lived > with > PD for a very long time without becoming completely > debilitated. If you check out the NINDS website and > read the extensive list of neurological disorders, > most > of which we know of no cause let alone a treatment > or > cure, you should realize how extensive neuro > disorders > are in this world. > > The discussion on what is acceptable research causes > me > to question the concern some persons profess for the > sanctity of human life. > > My maternal grandfather died of ALS, a disorder with > no > cure that eventually disables all bodily functions > and > results in death. > > My father was diagnosed with PD a few months before > his > 65th birthday and died of complications resulting > from > PD. After > 13 years of suffering he died in the hospital > weighing > about > 78 pounds (n=145). > > My brother was diagnosed with PD when he was 44. By > the > time he was 49 his most effective means of mobility > was > crawling around on his hands and knees. He needed a > telephone that had headphones and a mike. He could > not > control a computer mouse with both hands and had > great > difficulty feeding himself. The next logical step > was > long term nursing care. He had biSTN a year and a > half > ago ---- a very effective treatment for PD but it > IS NOT A CURE! > > People with the very advanced stages of PD still > have a > brain that can function normally intellectually but > is > trapped in a non-functional prison -- their own > body. > Is a living, breathing, thinking, feeling, > intelligent > human being trapped in a heap of dysfunctional cells > of > less value than the few cells of an > embryo that may become a viable being (God willing)? > A > person with the advanced stages of PD is just > as helpless as that embryo and must depend on other > human beings for their very existance in this world. > > Are we humans so omnipotent that we can determine > what > God's purpose is for each embryo that is created? > Are > we so all-knowing that we can determine what our > creator > has determined our destiny to be --- how we will > serve > humankind? Have we considered that perhaps God's > purpose for certain individuals is to serve mankind > by > being the building blocks of medical breakthroughs > to > benefit others? > > We need to use every resource available to make life > better for all mankind. The research that is > "targeted" > for Parkinson's Disease may benefit many other > people on > this earth. Maybe that research will find a > treatment > or cure for Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT), a heritable > genetic > disorder a close friend of ours has recently been > diagnosed with. Maybe it will result in solutions > to > other neurological disorders or non-neuro diseases. > > If you can look at a totally helpless person that > has > very advanced PD or any > other disease and determine that every resource > available should not be used to find relief for that > malady so others after them need not suffer --- you > must > evaluate > your true concerns for human life. > > Sincerely, > Paul Fahr > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Bid and sell for free at http://auctions.yahoo.com