STUDENT SOCIETY FOR STEM CELL RESEARCH PRESS RELEASE: For Immediate Release October 9, 2007.
Media Contact:
Marion J. Riggs 813.368.8937 mjriggs@ssscr.org
Nationally students to hold vigils for paralysis and stem cell research
On Wednesday October 10, 2007, 8:00pm, at schools across the nation, members of the Student Society for Stem Cell Research will hold the 4th Annual "Nothing is Impossible" candlelight vigils to honor the life of Christopher Reeve on the anniversary of his passing.
"It is very tempting to give up, yet we have to find the will to keep going. But even when we discover what motivates us, we realize that we can't go the distance alone." Christopher Reeve
On October 10, 2007, the Student Society for Stem Cell Research is expanding its Campaign to Cure Paralysis (C2CP) from spinal cord injury and other disorders by holding Nothing Is Impossible candlelight vigils at campuses throughout the United Sates. The C2CP is a strategic alliance with national patient advocacy organizations, including the Cure Paralysis Now, Stem Cell Action Network and the Genetics Policy Institute, which promote a rational and ethical framework for stem cell research.
The Student Society for Stem Cell Research supports advancing all avenues of research at the National Institutes of Health, and actively working to pass the Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Act (CDRPA) in this Congress.
The CDRPA provides for coordination of research, establishment of a national paralysis registry, and formation of a paralysis clinical trial network. In the Senate the CDRPA has been placed on the legislative calendar and is ready to be called for a vote.
"Our vigils symbolize the pro-cures cause and SSSCR's ideals of hope and healing. Years of fighting for the research should not be lost upon the research's acceptance. This is encapsulated in Christopher Reeve's vision for a cure to spinal cord injury and other diseases," said Marion Riggs, Founder and Executive Director of the Student Society for Stem Cell Research.
In America, there are 280,000 people with spinal cord injury, 400,000 individuals living with multiple sclerosis, 1 million people with Parkinson's, and over 5,000 annual diagnosis of ALS. Stem cell research is casting new light on these conditions as treatable. Research at the University of California at Irvine has proven the amazing potential of stem cells in regenerating motor skills in spinal cord injured mice and clinical trials planned in 2008.
For more information or to become involved in stem cell advocacy please visit the Student Society for Stem Cell Research at www.ssscr.org, call 813.368.8937, or email info@ssscr.org.
The Student Society for Stem Cell Research is U.S. based international organization dedicated to advancing scientific research for cures. The SSSCR network has grown to include 1500 members in over 15 countries and 35 states and has 25 established chapters. SSSCR is a special project of the Genetics Policy Institute and a member of the Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research.
Our future…our world…our responsibility…
###
Need a vacation? Get great deals to amazing places on Yahoo! Travel.
