Real Life Stem Cell Stories
These are real stories from real people who have already been waiting too long for the promise of stem cell research. Read them -- and then take action:
1) Tell your elected
officials to get rid of outdated policies and regulations that have already
held up stem cell research for too long; 2) Make a donation to StemPAC, and
help us spread the word. It's a grassroots movement, and we don't need much --
but any amount helps.
Got a story yourself? Make sure to share it today!
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In 2000, at the age of 34 I was diagnosed with Systemic Lupus Erythematous. It is an autoimmune disease where your own immune system attacks your own body. It started with an unknown fever and then my joints started swelling, turning red and were very painful. Since then I have had it attack my lungs and circulatory system. It has caused dehabilitating migraines, muscle spasms, mouth and tounge sores, a cataract, well I could go on and on but that is just some of what this disease does. I also have what they call kidney involvement. This means at some point my kidneys will stop functioning properly and I will at some point probably need a kidney transplant. There is no cure for this disease and there have been no new drugs created to treat this disease in over 30 years. You have to take sterioids and immunosuppressant drugs that have terrible side effects. This disease has a 50/50 chance of death in the first 10 years of diagnosis. My life has dramaticaly changed since diagnosis. I used to be an extremely active person. Now I can longer work, exercise and have to cancel plans all the time because of not feeling well. They have started research into using stem cells to recreate the immune system. There are millions like me who need a cure instead of the treatments which can be as bad as the disease itself. Where is this compassionate conservativism I hear so much about. Is it compassionate to allow people to suffer when there is the possibility to find cures for the awful diseases that people suffer from. Because of this disease I am no longer a productive member of the community. My family has to take over and do a lot of the work I used to do. They watch me suffer and wish they could do something to ease my pain. It angers them that people who do not know anything about pain and suffering are stopping stem cell research. My daughters think they should have to live with people who suffer from incurable diseases for a week and then decide if there should be stem cell research. They and I think they would change their minds real quick. Please, I ask you to think with your hearts, to think about the people who are suffering and their families who suffer for them. Allow stem cell research, this is not the killing of another life. You are taking cells that would be thrown out and using them for a good purpose. Why aren't people who are alive important? Why throw away something that could be used to help millions of people? Please allow stem cell research to ease the suffering and burden on millions of people and their families.
Read more stories. Get inspired, get angry, and then -- get into the fight!
