Adult Stem Cell Progress Continues
This year's Jan./Feb. issue of the Saturday Evening Post recently carried an article titled, "The Other Stem Cells" with a subtitle which stated, "Adult stem cells may represent the future of regerative medicine minus the controversy."The article deals with using the cells to treat cardiomyopathy or heart failure, a disease which affects about 5 million Americans, leaving the heart weak and unable to pump blood efficiently. A clinical tool known as normal ejection fraction measures how well the heart is pumping. (The normal rate of ejection fraction is 50%)
Dr. James Thomson, director of regenerative bioloy at the Morgride Institute for Research of the UNiversity of Wisconsin, derived the first stem cell from human embryos. At the time, scientists said the cells could be induced to turn into any type of tissue in the human body and the medical world was abuzz with talk of a "human spare parts kit." But because the extraction of cells destroyed human embryos, an ethical and political fire-strm arose. Since then, Dr. Zannos Narracci, the lead researcher has worked to develop regenerative therapies from "adult" stem cells harvested from human tissue. What is more, since the cells come from a person's own body cells there is little danger of rejection.
In December the doctor released findings froma small trial on the potential of adult stem cells in heart failure. Before treatment the average ejection fraction reached was 28%. After treatment, the rate increased to 40% or more. THis far no harmful side effects have been noted and patient quality of life has been greatly enhanced. "Patients treated can now walk to the beach, go grocery shopping and play with grandkids. We also reduced hospitalization due to congestive heart failure in treated patients by 80%" stated Zamos. The same article also disdusses the successful treatment of patients with TYoe 1 Diabetes with adult stem cells, enabling people to go insulin free.
Editorial
Dear Pro-Life Friend: Watching the Winter Olympics one could sense the variety of emotions evident in the participants and their audiences. On opening night this was particularly apparent. Many parading by seemed to glow with enthusiasm and excitement, anticipating the exciting days ahead. Hopes were high. Some were more serious. North Korea and South Korea have not marched together in a number of years. Israel and Iran were separated. A prayer for peace and unity might have been inspired as you watched them. What was so heart rendering was to see the audience rise enmasse to offer "encouragement" to the athletes from Georgia who were mourning the loss of one of their team mates. This "encouragement" was also moving as the young man with Cerebral Palsy jumped up and down and cheered as his brother vied for cherished prize - a medal to take home to his country.Today, it is hard to go through your daily routine without encountering someone who could use soem encouragement. Within half an hour the response to "how are you doing" met in one case with great sadness on the part of someone who shared that a loved one had committed suicide - another, in his mid eighties, living alone after being widowed twice, told of anticipated surgery on both knees and one can imagine his anxiety as to "how am I going to get through this?" Sometimes people's hurts and pains are very evident and may elicit a response from us. At other times it may have outwardly appeared that someone's life seems a "piece of cake" and we later learned of some heavy cross the had been carrying. Who among us could not use a daily dose of "encouragement?"
Living in the north country offers some inique opportunities to boost people's spirits - be it the elderly, home bound for fear of falling on ice, the mailperson who weathers the storm to bring the mail, or the wife and family of military men who are deployed. The needs are as numerous as the creative means we can come up with to respond to them.
One couple (Virginia & Charlie Burdick) has spent 46 years parenting a challenged offspring. In this newsletter they reponded to a request to share with us some blessings of parenting a Down Syndrome Child.
Lord, open our eyes and our hearts as we go about our day to bring hopoe to others through our "encouragement".
Peace - Bette
Abortion is a Blessing!?!?!
The new President of the Episcopal Divinity School (EDA) in Cambridge, MA, the Reverend Katherine Hancock Ragsdale, has caused a stir because of a sermon posted on her webbing in which she calls abortion a "blessing." In a speech she made at a pro-choice rally in Alabama entitled "Our Work Is Not Done" she states that there should be no restriction whatever on abortion. States Georgette Forney of Anglicans for Life, "based on my personal experience as well as thousands of testimonies of women with the "Silent No More" Awareness Campaign who had abortions, blessing is never a word used to describe either the procedure or the after effects. Regret, nightmare, painful and numbing are more applicable words to be associated with abortion. (Source: News Brief of Anglicans for Life - April 2009)NCI Researcher Admits Abortion Breast Cancer Link
U.S. National Cancer Institute researcher Dr. Louise Brinton, who was chief organizer of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) workshop in 2003 that persuaded women that it was "well established" that abortion is not associated with increased breast cancer risk, has reversed her position and now admits that abortion and oral contraceptives raise breast cancer risks.An April 2009 study by Jessica Dole et all. of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center examining the relationship between oral contaceptives (OC'S) and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), an agressive form of breast cancer associated with high mortality in women under 45, contained an admission from Dr. Brinton and her colleagues that abortion raises breast cancer risk by 40%. The study found that a"a statistically significant 40% increased risk for women who have abortions" exists, and that a "270% increased risk of triple negative breast cancer (an aggressive form of breast cancer associated with high mortality) among those who used oral contraceptives while under age 18 and a 320% increased risk of triple negative breast cancer among recent users (within 1-5 years) of oral contraceptive also exists.
Last year, studies from Turkey and China also reported statistically significant risk increases for women who had abortions. The Turkish study reported a 66% increased risk of breast cancer for women with abortions while the Chinese study found a statisticallys ignificant 17% increased breast cancer risk among Chinese women who had induced abortions. A letter, signed by doctors and pro-woman organizations (including Anglicans for Life on behalf of the Silent No More Awareness Campaign) was sent to President Obama and the leaders of Congress calling for an investigation of the U.S. discrepancy between what the O.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI) says about breast cancer risks of abortion and oral contraceptives -"the pill" and what Louise Brinton, the NCI'S Chief of the Hormonal and Reproductive Epidemiology Branch, has reported in her research. The letter asks Congress to investigate the NCI'S failure to issue timely warnings about breast cancer risks and asks political leaders to remove public funding for abortion from all legislation being considered by this Congress. (Newsletter of Anglicans for Life - Feb 2010.)
Faith is what gets you started. |
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P.P. Director Learns Women Need Support, Not Abortion
For the past eight years, Abby Johnson reasoned that she was helping women with family planning when she went to work each day as Director of the Bryan, Texas Planned Parenthood (PP) clinic. A chain of events caused her to have a change of heart. She learned that to increase its income, PP changed its focus from family planning to abortion and she was pushed to strive for abortion quotas to boost profits. "Abortion is the most lucrative part of PP. Even though they're separate vorporations, all the money goes into one pot." says Abby. Finally, after watching and assisting with an ultrasound guided abortion procedure and feeling the baby move beneath her hand, she became convinced it was time to turn from a career focusing on death and commit to a life affirming ministry. Abby now believes that women need support, not abortion. She supports the Coalition For Life and prays outside the PP clinic where she used to work. "We know that abortion providers experience the same trauma as those who have abortions and need our help. As she is discipled by her new Christian friends at the Coalition For Life, she needs our prayers for her healing and restoration from the trauma of her years of working in the abortion industry", stated a representative of the "Silent No More" Campaign. (Anglicans for Life Newsletter Nov./Dec. 2009)Mike Huckabee recently interviewed Abby Johnson on his TV show. Immediately following the show, our wonderful TV spot featuring a 3D ultrasound image of the unborn child, fully formed and moving about in its' mother's womb, was aired - a beautiful testament to the humanity of the unborn. We thank a;; who contribute to our efforts to make our TV and radio spots available to the public. God bless you.
New York Times Shows Abortion Victims
For the first time, a major mainstream news outlet has featured photos of aborted babies. The October 9 on-line edition of the New York Times featured an interview with Michigan pro-life doctor Monica Migliorino Miller, the Director of Citizens for a pro-life society and a theology professor at Madonna University, The Times showed four photos that Dr. Miller had taken of aborted babies she and others in her group had retrieved from dumpsters behind abortion centers. To read the article and see the photos go to http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/09/behind-19. "Our goal is to show and tell the truth about the injustice of abortion," said Dr. Miller. "I hope this story helps awaken hearts and minds."
Admits Error of Legalizing Euthanasia
The former Netherlands Health Minister, who successfully promoted the legalization of euthanasia has now admitted that the government's move was a mistake and says they should have focused on palliative care.The Netherlands became the first country in the world to legalize euthanasia. In 2008 alone, Dutch doctors reported 2,331 cases of euthanasia and assisted suicide. The legalization of euthanasia came "far too early," Borst said, admitting that the government did not give enough attention to palliative care and support for the dying.
Alex Schadenberg, executive director of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition, agrees with Borst that the Netherlands has been ineffective in providing proper palliative care. "Now euthanasia has become socially accepted," he continued. "So how are you going to fix the mistake now? And how many thousands of people died because you didn't properly care for them? How many thousands killed?"
Borst's regret over the situation in the Netherlands is particularly important given that that country has served as a model for euthanasia advocates in other countries. "Really what the debate needs to be about is how we care for all."
Schadenberg went on to point out the "slippery slope" occurring in the Netherlands, which the country's politicians deny, he says, through "a systematic cover-up." How can you say there is no slippery slope in the Netherlands - knowing that you allow euthanasia for newborns, and you went from originally just the terminally ill?" he asked. "You have allowed your definitions to wander so wide that you haven't even noticed it." he said. Schadenberg continues, "Boorst's comments are simply telling us 'do not make the same mistake as the Netherlands'"
Recommended Book
Anyone expecting a child might wish to check out this book recommended by Anglicans For Life. "Formation Generation" by Robert Michael Kurz. In his book, Mr. Kurz guides you to pray week by week through the development of your pre-born child.Published by Tate Publishing and Enterprises, LLC (ISBN 978-1-60696556-6) this book may be ordered for $14.95 at Borders Books.
Blessings in Raising a Down Syndrome
(Thoughts from Virginia Burdick)
Watertown is lucky to have two support groups for those born with Down Syndrome.
Trisomy 21 of Northern New York is a support group for parents. They sponsor a Buddy Walk, Family Camp, Educational Party, Newborn Outreach, Lending Library (a special section is devoted to their resources on the lower floor of Flower Memorial Library) and participate in a National Down Syndrome Conference. Contact Person is Alicia Bach (Call 773-3437)
Sister Diane Ulsmer has a special education group which meets twice a week for religious education and socialization for people of all faiths. She may be reached at 782-0030.
Want to Start Searching for LIfe?
The next time you need to look something up online, think twice before you log on to your regular search engine. Why not use a search engine that not only gets hte job done but also helps promote life? For every search you do using GoodSearch.com with HUman Life Alliance as your designated charity, HLA receives one cent. While this may not seem like much, take a minute to do the math. If everyone receiving this newsletter averages two searches a day that is $29,200 a year that would be contributed to this excellent pro-life group that is responsible for putting hundreds of thousands of inserts in college newspapers across the country.Georgia Billboard Campaign
The N.Y.Times recently ran an article discussing the controversy over the billboards put up to make people aware of the disproportionate number of black women procuring abortions. According to figures from the Center for Disease Control, in 2006 57.4% of abortions performed in that state were on black women while these women account for only 30% of the population. Further, it appears that most clinics are located in urban areas where black women live.The controversy has led a num ber of assemblymen in the Georgia legislature to introduce bills disallowing race to be a factor in the procurement of abortions. There is a very interesting web site (www.toomanyaborted.com) which connects to other sites discussing this issue in great detail.
One Child Policy in China Changing
More than 30 years ago China introduced it's one-child policy, creating two generations of chubby, spoiled only-children, nicknamed "little emperors". Now a population crisis has arisen. The average birth rate has plummeted to 1.8 children per couple, compared with six when the policy went into effect. The U.N. Population Division states that the number of residents 60 and older is predicted to explode from 16.7 percent of the population in 2020 to 31.1 percent by 2050, far above the global average of 20 percent.Wang Weijia and her husband grew up surrounded by propaganda posters lecturing that "Mother Earth is too tired to sustain more children" and "one More Baby Means One More Tomb." This year the Shanghai government, alarmed by the city's low birth rate began to encourage couples to have more than one child. The response from Wang - "no way. We have already given all our time and energy for just one child. We have none left for a second."
It was written into the country's constitution in 1978 that couples who violated the "One Child Policy" would face enormous fines - up to three times their annual salary in some areas - and discrimination at work. Chinese officials have credited the policy with helping avoid the strain on natural resources, while human rights activists have denounced the policy. In some areas, officials have forced women pregnant with a second child to undergo abortions. Many couples have had sex selection abortions which has led to an unnaturally high male to female ratio. The "One Child Policy" was gradually softened in 2004 when exceptions to the rule were allowed. These included ethnic minorities and cases in which both husband and wife are only children, and in 2007 the government toned down many of their hard-line slogans. In July, Shanghai became the first Chinese city to launch a campaign to encourage more births. Posters were circulated detailing who would be eligible to have a second child and how to apply for a permit. Family planning officials have indicated that the response has been "underwhelming".
Area Contacts Maureen O'Donnell - 782-0358 (h) 778-3232 (c) Beti Ann Honan - 782-3616 Bette Hartzell - Editor Printed by DOCO Quick Print, Inc. - Watertown, NY |
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PRO-LIFE PATRONS
PRO-LIFE PATRONS Gold Clare Carroll Paul Cook Russell J. Fountain Sally Grzesiak Cynthia & Steve Lemiere Richard Matarese Kathleen Maurer Rose Morgan Scott Osborn Virginia Palumbo Fr. Don Robinson Diane Sherman Allan & Barb Sherman Silver Dorothy Delaney Cheryl Gamale Ruth Condon Bronze Henry & Josephine Toland ProLife Newsletter of Northern New York
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