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It was a fantastic segment...couldn't have been better. I knew the figures on PD, but I was also shocked to hear the figures about diabetes. Although I must say that if I remember correctly, there was a joint effort last year on the part of Clinton and Newt Gringrich to give diabetes $300 (? I think) million because they each had someone close to them that was affected by diabetes. I don't begrudge them, just want our $100! nina Bent Willow wrote: > >The 20/20 Segment which features PD and Joan Samuelson will be aired on > >Monday, 10/11/99. > > We just finished watching the program and must congratulate Joan on her > awesome presence and grace. She was able to effectively describe the burden > of PD while gently focusing on the inequity of funding at the NIH for > politically popular diseases vs. those with little 'star-power' to present > their case. > > I was shocked to discover through this 20/20 program the lack of funding > for Diabetes - one of the most common and devastating diseases in my > clinical practice. While AIDS receives in excess of $200 per patient, > Diabetes (which effects 15 million Americans) receives $28. PD receives > $78 - a paltry amount, for sure, but still considerably more than Diabetes. > Both Diabetes and PD are on the brink of a cure - something that can't be > claimed by the leading causes of death in the U.S. It would seem more > fiscally responsible to fund programs with a high possibility for a cure > first in an effort to eliminate social security disability payments for that > population - but then I have a vested interest in one of those diseases. > > At any rate, the PD community was well served by this 20/20 program, IMHO, > and I am very proud indeed of our representative, Joan Samuelson. > ----- > God bless > Mary Ann Ryan (CG Jamie 60/20)