STEM CELL BATTLES

 

Who is she, really?

 

Someone who for years has worked quietly and exhaustingly for the cause of cure.  Her group is the Paralysis Project of America, begun by Joe Alioto, of the justly famed Alioto family, scions of San Francisco, (If you ever get the chance to hear Supervisor Michaela Alioto-Pier speak, catch the opportunity while you can—she is going places), chaired by David Geffen, and friends across the nation. This is one of the oldest (perhaps the oldest) spinal cord injury support groups in America. What do they do?

 

Three magic words…They fund research. They provide actual dollars toward finding a cure for the devastating condition of paralysis.

 

And where does the money come from?

 

Devices of torture called fundraisers.

 

If you are involved in research advocacy, you know about fundraisers. You probably get hammered all the time to support this fundraiser or that.

 

But if you have ever done one of these, you know what an enormous chore they are to bring together.

 

Perhaps the key element (unstated but real) is that if you want to get people to turn out and give money, there has to be an element of fun in the fundraiser.

 

One of the events Catherine Lepone works on is the Sports Legends Awards Dinner.

Roman and I went to one of these—they gave us the Willie Shoemaker award for the Roman Reed Spinal Cord Injury Research Act, which was a joy—but what sticks in my mind were two things: 

 

One, we got to sit next to Nancy Pelosi, now Speaker of the House of Representatives.  An American role model now, she was fascinating even then: when we met she focused in totally, a single-minded concentration, almost like she was taking mental notes, gracious, lovely, smiling sincerely but also very watchful, taking everything in—and then her cell phone began to pester her, and she never got more than one or two bites of dinner before the next call would come in.

 

Second, I got to shake hands with Bob Matthias, two time Olympic decathlon champion, once considered the greatest athlete of all time. I remember he made an Italian sword and sandal movie called the Minotaur starring him and his wife Melba— and he gave time from his busy schedule to come to the event and help raise funds for research.

 

Above is a picture of the poster of that movie.

 

 

 

And Roman? He knows sports like I never will, and all night he kept saying, “Do you see that guy? You know who that is?” And before I could answer, he would be zipping off talking to another genuine sports hero.

 

It was a most fun fundraisers; and a success, bringing in dollars to help researchers.

 

He was gracious and charming and I will never forget meeting him.

 

If I had a hat I would tip it-- to Catherine Lepone, and those, like her, who bring us closer to the cure.

 

 

Don Reed

 

 

P.S. If you are curious about the Paralysis Project, read on. (I snatched this from their website; they have no connection with me: I just like them, for the good work they do.)

 

 

The mission of Paralysis Project of America is to accelerate progress toward finding a cure for paralysis caused by spinal cord injury (SCI).

This is accomplished by funding carefully selected scientific and clinical studies that focus on spinal cord repair and regeneration.

Spinal cord injury is a life-shattering event that can happen to anyone, anytime. An estimated 14,000 individuals, mostly young people, join the ranks of the paralysis community each year. The most common causes of injury are motor vehicle accidents, acts of violence, falls and sports injuries.

SCI is a devastating event, physically, emotionally and financially. But research to restore function after paralysis is progressing. With increased funding, the speed of scientific discovery can more rapidly be applied in clinical medicine.

We welcome financial support from individuals, corporations and foundations to supplement inadequate government support for spinal cord research.

With support from professional sports teams and the entertainment industry, Paralysis Project produces the annual Sports Legends Awards honoring the greatest athletes in history, from Olympic champions to Hall of Fame inductees. Paralysis Project is also the exclusive charity of the Long Beach Marathon and plays host to several golf tournaments each year.

The Paralysis Project was founded in 1987. Headquartered in Los Angeles, it is active throughout California and associates with The Miami Project in Florida and the Shoemaker Foundation in Los Angeles. It is a tax exempt, 501(C) non profit corporation. All donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.

For further information, contact the Paralysis Project of America, info@paralysisproject.org, or P. O. Box 627, Glendale, CA 91209-0627, Telephone: (323) 663-6554.

 

One of the greatest joys and frustrations about writing this column is that there are so many wonderful people.

 

It is frustration-- because I could write all day everyday about people who deserve support and three cheers, and I would never catch them all.

 

It is also a joy, because folks, we are not alone. Sometimes when the dark night of despair closes in, and it seems like the odds are so against us, it helps to remember there are tons of good folks out there, working hard around the clock.

 

For example.  Look at the picture below, notice the person on the far left? That’s a friend, that’s Catherine Lepone, Executive Director of the Paralysis Project.