Tomorrow I make the trek to Sacramento again, to knock on doors and explain to whoever will listen the importance of supporting research to cure paralysis-- I could use your backup with a quick and easy e-mail! Thanks!!!
CONTACT THE CHAIRMAN…Fight Paralysis Today!
Folks, a bit of luck—the hearing for AB 1657 (Wieckowski, F-Fremont) the funding bill for the Roman Reed Spinal Cord Injury Research Act has been put off until May 9th, next Wednesday.
So we have one more opportunity to contact the chairman of that committee: Felipe.Fuentes@asm.ca.gov, with a CC to jeff.barbosa@asm.ca.gov
A quick email would be so helpful… Something as simple as “I support AB 1657, the bill to add $1 to every California traffic ticket, to fund the Roman Reed Spinal Cord Injury Research Act.”
Or, if you really want to be heroic, send a hard-copy letter to:
Assemblymember Bob Wieckowski, State Capitol, P.O. Box 942849, Sacramento, CA 94249-0020
If you want more information, feel free to cut and paste anything you want from below.
But do please communicate your wishes on this matter.
If we win, it is several million dollars a year for research to fight paralysis—research that would otherwise not happen.
It is up to us.
I will be going to Sacramento tomorrow to knock on Assemblyfolk’s doors again—I could use your backup.
Thank you,
Don C. Reed
Citizen-sponsor, Roman Reed Spinal Cord Injury Research Act of 1999
Re: AB 1657, $1 traffic ticket add-on for Roman Reed Spinal Cord Injury Research Act, to be heard in Appropriations Committee, May 9th, 2012
Dear Appropriations Chair Felipe Fuentes:
On September 10th, 1994, Roman Reed was paralyzed in a college football accident. Five years later, California passed a law named after him, the Roman Reed Spinal Cord Injury Research Act of 1999.
How big is the problem of paralysis? 1.275 million Americans have a spinal cord injury—and a total 5.6 million Americans suffer some form of paralysis.
Small but mighty, our program has proven itself.
The Roman Reed core laboratory, supervised by Dr. Oswald Steward, provides an established center of expertise, guidance and resources for new scientists. Administered by the University of California and the Reeve/Irvine Research Center at UC Irvine, the act gives small grants to UC scientists trying new ideas; when these succeed, larger amounts are easier to get from the National Institutes of Health and other sources. In addition to 175 published scientific papers, a small library of what works (and what doesn’t), two patents pending, and several major scientific breakthroughs, we brought new money to California. Over ten years, California’s $14 million investment attracted $64 million in matching grants and add-on funds—turning $14 million into $78 million-- jobs and new revenue for California.
Our breakthroughs range from practical to amazing: cost-saving new methods of rehabilitation; a nerve-regeneration therapy which began a company, California StemCells, Inc.; a new form of a Petri dish which can sort cells by electrical potential.
You may have seen the 60 MINUTES TV special on our famous rats that walked again? I held in my own hands one of those formerly paralyzed rats, felt the tiny muscles struggling to be free. Before, she dragged her hindquarters like luggage; now she scampered tail-high across her exercise area—while my son watched from a wheelchair.
Twice renewed by unanimous votes of Assembly and Senate, the program was originally paid for ($1.5 million per year) by the General Fund. However, budget cuts removed that, forcing us to develop a new source of funding.
Last year, the Appropriations Committee turned down our request for a $3 traffic ticket add-on to fund the Roman Reed Spinal Cord Injury Research Act.
We listened carefully, adapted our proposal, and hopefully addressed the Committee’s concerns. For example:
1. The Catholic Conference of Bishops (CCB) opposed our research, because we once funded a small number of embryonic stem cell projects—exactly 4 out of 129. Like my Catholic family, an estimated 72% of American Catholics are in support of this research. We do not expect to change the Bishops’ minds. However, their concerns may have been answered, by the simple presence of the California stem cell program. Since that far-larger program opened its doors, we have had no requests for stem cell funding.
2. Objections were raised to last year’s proposed funding mechanism: $3 surcharge on traffic tickets. We lowered that request by 2/3, to just one dollar. Our funding mechanism follows precedents set by eight states-- Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, South Carolina and Alabama—all fund spinal cord research with traffic fines. Their state penalties earmarked for paralysis research go as high as $100—but our bill asks only one ($1) dollar. That amount will mean little to violators of speed limits, whose recklessness may cause spinal cord injuries—but it could mean everything to us.
3. The third objection is: why single out spinal cord research, when there are so many other injuries resulting from car crash? First, most wounds heal. Spinal cord injuries do not; paralysis is permanent. On a positive note, however, our research applies to many other conditions: including Parkinson’s, Alzheimers’s, traumatic brain injury, muscular dystrophy, stroke, spinal muscular atrophy, and many other disorders. Because the spine connects brain and body, damage affects our every activity, large or small—not just the ability to move and touch and feel, but also to control one’s bowels and bladder, even just to breathe.
As you decide the fate of AB 1657, think of people you will never meet, because their paralysis keeps them in doors, many never leaving their hospital beds. And think of the millions who have died paralyzed, because there was no cure.
The first mention of paralysis is on the walls of an Egyptian tomb. It said: “Of paralyzed soldiers, deny them water, let them die—there is nothing that can be done.”
Until recently, that was the truth: nothing could be done. My son heard those words, a life sentence of paralysis. But he did not accept them, and neither should we.
I urge your “Aye” vote on AB 1657, and ask that you consider co-sponsoring it as well.
Thank you.
Don C. Reed
Citizen-sponsor, Roman Reed Spinal Cord Injury Research Act of 1999.