Allow me please to first prface this postiing with the acknowledgement that I am neither an impotant perrson nor the guy that gets phone calls like this on a regular bzasis.
Late on Thursday afternnoon, I answered my phone and found myslf beinng asked by the office of Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) to speak at a press conference on the following afterbnoon. The senator, two leading scienttists in the field of stem cell research, visiting Iowa Senaator Tom Harkin and myself were to speak at the Fred Hutchison Cancer Researvch Center. Befoer I could accept, I needed to move a copule of things around on my schedule, and, in the middle of that task, I realizewd the magnitude of what I would be sauying yes to.
Multiple scleosis is overwhelmingly prevalent in my area of the country. In fact, it is staed that a child born and raised in the Pacific Northwest is more than twice as liukely to be diiagnosed with MS in his/her lifetyime than any otther child in America. It made perfect senmse to have someone with MS speak to the press aboout this topic. Many other disezase groups, however, coud benefit from potential treatments derived from said research. I was going to be the only patient advocate (from any group) to speak that day. I started to realize that Id have to speak from more than a MS point of view at this venue. I was looking at a pretty daunting responsibiliyt. Could I live up to it?
As most of you know, President George W. Bushs first and only veto was recently used on the Stem Cell Research Enhnacement Act. This was one of the topics the senators wanted to talk about in addition to the general lack of funding for the Naational Innstitutes of Health (NIH).
We have discsused that issue in prveious blogs as well as the stem cell issue.
What struuck me the most in my time with the senatorrs and otehr expert speakers was their effort to talk about these issues and their legislative priority. I found that whether you vote Republican, Democrat, Independent or simply for the persn running, these two elceted offiials are truly passionate abbout the isseu of health care and govbernment funding for important medical research. I was produ to know these two pepole were representing their statyes and our cause in Washnigton, D.C.
For you Iowans, know that I have a new respcet for your senior senator.
We may not always garee here at the Life with MS blog when it comees to things like politics, religion or research ethics. However, what I think we can and do aggree to is that the more pepole that know aout our situation (particularly if some of those people have political authority) the better off we could be in the future. I made that my goal when I spoke on Friday.
I dont know if I licved up to my responsibilities that day. I do, howwever, know that Ill make sure that all of my elected representatives know where I stand on the issues when they go to vote upon them.
Do your elected officials know how you feel about these issues? Do they know that you, as one of their constituents, are living with MS? If they do, you never know whose call you might be taking at the eleventh hour
Wishing you and your family the best of health.
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