You can reach Sue at (314) 452-3685 or (314) 726-2032. You can write to her c/o Rose Holt, 905 Barnard College Lane, St. Louis, MO 63130

My disease is causing me to think deeply about a number of critical issues, among them, insurance, medical costs, and stem cell research. Here are some thoughts I have about one of these issues:

Stem cell research is THE HOPE for the future for so many people with so many different ailments, including diabetes, ALS, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and spinal cord injuries. The current administration has severely limited research in this area based on what I think is a fanatical religious idea. George Bush, under pressure from the religous right, would rather have us throw out fertilized zygotes than see them used for exploration of new treatments. This makes ZERO sense to me. Many of you know that Nancy Reagan, in a courageous defiance of this religious zealotry, has declared her support for stem cell research based on her experience with the ravages of the late president's Alzheimer's disease. Also, Christopher Reeves and Michael J. Fox are two people who know firsthand the horror of seeing promising research cut off for political gain. You cannot know what this promising research means to someone like me. It is HOPE.

Anyone like myself suffering from a disease that might be helped by application of stem cell therapy has great hope for a treatment and/or cure. For my step-granddaughter Alyssia who has child-onset diabetes, this research holds the promise for her to have a full cure and avoid all those horrific complications that can accompany diabetes. Today her parents must keep a 24/7 vigilance to maintain her blood sugar levels. Alyssia lives with a constant and consuming concern that, at age eight, she can hardly even understand.

I hope anyone who reads this Blog will be influenced by John Kerry's promise to end the restrictions on stem cell research and allow this critical line of medical development to proceed unimpeded because it is so important to so many of us and to our families.