Dear Friends,
We have dedicated our October Targeted Hope Newsletter to all of the events around the world surrounding World Stem Cell Awareness Day last week and during The 2011 World Stem Cell Summit.
The purpose of World Stem Cell Awareness Day is to bring together organizations and individuals across the globe working every day to ensure that we safely realize the benefits of what is one of the most promising fields of science in our time.
This year, Texans for Stem Cell Research celebrated World Stem Cell Awareness Day and contributed by organizing a world-class Annual Symposium on the preceding Friday, September 30th. We also created an awareness campaign with a souvenir poster that reflects the deep history and unique spirit of Texas. We invited 16 leaders from across Texas, the United States and around the globe to speak in our great state's capital city. Five of our invited 2011 speakers presented at the World Stem Cell Summit surrounding the Stem Cell Awareness Day festivities. We were honored to have these distinguished guests donate their time. We gave Texans a way to proudly display their support for Stem Cell Research and created a poster that we believe captures the true spirit and traditions of Texans and reflects the sincere hope for healing and cures. Beth McConnell, 10 Miles West and loyal member of our Advisory Council, created the poster shown above utilizing the original photography of legendary Wyatt McSpadden. This photo of Buck Ramsey (1938-1998), a widely acknowledged "spiritual leader" of the cowboy poetry movement, was taken years ago by his friend Wyatt. In December 2005, Texas Tech University press brought out the long-awaited Buck Ramsey's Grass, with essays on his life and work. Buck Ramsey's words and Wyatt's photography inspired us deeply this year. With kind permission from Bette Ramsey, we included this heart-warming photograph and Buck's own words as a reminder to all that stem cell research is for the benefit of real people and not just a topic of conversation or point of controversy. And as I ride out on the morning Before the bird, before the dawn, I'll be this poem, I'll be this song. My heart will beat the world a warning- Those horsemen will ride all with me, And we'll be good, and we'll be free. --From "Anthem," by Buck Ramsey For millions of people around the world who suffer from incurable diseases and injury, The World Stem Cell Awareness Day is a day to celebrate the scientific advances made to-date and be hopeful of what is yet to come. The unique properties of stem cells give the scientific and patient communities alike great confidence that stem cell research will be the foundation of countless medical therapies and cures. Certain types of stem cells are already used to treat life-threatening diseases such as leukemia, and lymphoma. Scientists believe that stem cells can one day deliver therapies and cures for many incurable diseases, genetic conditions, and injuries including cancer, spinal cord injury, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), heart disease, diabetes, and arthritis. Stem cell therapies also offer an opportunity to restore quality of life for patients and their families, while saving billions of dollars we spend on lost productivity and medical care. Beyond treating disease, stem cell research also holds promise for developing powerful environmental toxicity tests, drug screening, and diagnostics. Stem cell research is advancing with promising results at leading institutions in Texas, across the United States and around the world. Our organization promotes safe, ethical and responsible research that has the potential to bring novel clinical therapy approaches for treating those suffering from incurable disease and injury. Doctors, researchers and scientists are working every day to develop treatments to substantially mitigate disease and finding cures for our most daunting medical challenges. This takes time, funding and unwavering support from the entire community. Our education programs are designed to keep the community and our leadership well informed during this pivotal period of transition for health care and assist our state as we plan for a better future. Make no mistake, Texas is committed to stem cell research and we will celebrate World Stem Cell Awareness Day with our fellow advocates from around the world for many years to come. For More Videos and Coverage of the Events: Advocates to Celebrate Stem Cell Awareness Day Around the Globe October 5th, Gather in Pasadena - CIRM CIRM video journal of the World Stem Cell Summit 7 key take home action items from the World Stem Cell Summit 2011 Good News from the World Stem Cell Summit - Missouri Cures Three words summed up the stem cell extravaganza--Wonderful |