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officials to get rid of outdated policies and regulations that have already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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My nephew Kevin was diagnosed in October 2003 with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), the number one genetic killer of children worldwide. Currently at five years of age, Kevin is limited by running slower and more awkwardly than other children his age and lacks the ability to jump. Research and reality tell my family we have a long road ahead. The muscles will continue to weaken until Kevin can no longer walk or feed himself ⿿ the ultimate betrayal occurring when his heart muscle ceases functioning, generally by the age of 20.
To add insult to injury, our family discovered in August 2004 that my newborn nephew, Kyle, lives with this same devastating disorder. While both diagnoses stunned and shocked us, we readily rallied to fight for our sons⿿ lives.
Both boys possess identical genetic diagnoses; they both lack Exon 1 of the dystrophin gene. This means they are lacking the portion of the gene containing the instructions for creation of dystrophin - essentially, the glue that holds muscle cells together. The ONLY hope our family holds for our boys is STEM CELL RESEARCH. While there currently is promising research for muscular dystrophy, nothing but embryonic stem cell generation of healthy dystrophin genes will save our sweet boys' lives.
Kevin is a natural-born musician with the wit of an adult. Kyle, nearing his first birthday, smiles constantly and brightens every situation in which he is involved. Please help us enjoy their special lives for many years to come.
Read more stories. Get inspired, get angry, and then -- get into the fight!
