PARALYSIS CURE BILL BACK ON TRACK!
Dear Friend of Research for Cure:
Last year, the funding was cut off for California’s Roman Reed Spinal Cord Injury Research Act. This is the law which funded the famous “paralyzed rats that walked again” stem cell research that Christopher Reeve so often talked about.
California finances being what they are, all seemed lost.
BUT– here is some great news!
Assembly Bill 1657 Roman Reed Research Funding Act (Wieckowski, D-Fremont) was officially filed today in CA!
We need your support as the first committee vote (Public Safety) is next Tuesday, March 27th.
We need one short email letter of support, with copies to:
Bob.Wieckowski@asm.ca.gov
Jeff.barbosa@asm.ca.gov
Trisha.Tahmasbi@asm.ca.gov
Your letter should be short. All that is really needed is one sentence, something like:
“I (state your name) strongly support Assembly Bill 1657, the Roman Reed Spinal Cord Injury Research Act.”
If you want to add more, great, but be sure to at least send that one sentence, because we just got the news, and things are moving fast.
Background:
The Roman Reed Spinal Cord Injury Research Act was first signed into CA Law in 1999. We provided State funds of 1.5 Million annually to be administered through the UC system to any researcher in CA working on SCI or closely related. Our program is operated at the UC Irvine Christopher Reeve Center and the Roman Reed Core Laboratory is supported within the Center and provides on-site equipment free of charge to new SCI researchers or collaborations.
Supported over 300 Scientists and staff, our program produced over 125 peer reviewed medical breakthroughs, and provided the initial funding to pioneer Dr. Hans Keirstead’s work with re-insulating the damaged spine– work that became the Geron Trials!
“Roman’s Law” may well be the most fiscally beneficial law in America, bringing in over 4 dollars from out-of-State funds for every 1 dollar granted in State.
Our 15 million dollars in California funding, attracted 64 Million in matching grants from the National Institutes of Health and other out of State sources—leveraging $15 million into $79 million—new monies for our state and new hope for our community.
Please send your one-sentence email today!
Time is short, help us win.
As Christopher Reeve once said: “One day, Roman and I will stand up from our wheelchairs, and walk away from them forever.”
His dream was not just for two men, but for every person in the world who is paralyzed.
Help us drive the dream.
As Roman always says, “Take a stand with us, in favor of cure research. Take a stand—so one day, everybody can.”
Please send that one-sentence email today!
Thank you,
Don C. Reed