Kiger's Comments

by Wanda Kiger

Feb 9, 2005

‘MIRACLE CURE’ POINTS TO SUPERIORITY

OF ADULT STEM CELL RESEARCH

           (Reprinted with permission from Citizens’ Courier newsletter, January 2005 issue): 

“A South Korean woman paralyzed for 20 years is walking again after her spinal cord was treated with stem cells from umbilical cord blood.  The 37-year old’s dramatic cure, though significant, represents only one of thousands of cases in which adult stem cells have been used to successfully treat patients with serious diseases, including Lupus, multiple sclerosis, heart disease, Crohn’s disease and diabetes.  In fact, on the very same day that Hwang Mi-Soon took steps for reporters in Seoul with the aid of a walker, The New York Times reported on American and European studies showing that stem cells from umbilical cord blood could save the lives of adults with leukemia who could not find bone marrow donors.

Proponents of adult stem cell research point to these advances as further evidence that the killing of human embryos for scientific research with embryonic stem cells goes beyond being immoral.  Even to those whose ethics would permit it, such destruction should be seen as unnecessary and unjustified in light of the real, human successes obtained through cord blood and other sources of adult stem cells.

For years, mainstream media and liberal politicians have cooperated with the biotech industry to misrepresent the truth about stem cell research.  In the recent presidential campaigns, for example, they apparently were successful in convincing a large segment of the population that the federal government under the Bush administration has opposed stem cell research.  The fact is – that is far from true.  Adult stem cell research has received substantial federal funding.  Under the Bush administration, the funding has increased rather than decreased. …….

Unfortunately and shamefully, the media has successfully silenced the truth about the rapid and impressive progress in adult stem cell research, and the lack of significant progress in embryonic stem cell research.  Citizens for Community Values (CCV) president Phil Burress feels that keeping  CCV’s friends informed about stem cell research is a responsibility that CCV must accept in the New Year.

“’The drive by the biotech industry, mainstream media and liberal politicians to secure public funding for research with embryonic stem cells—research that is both unethical and uncertain—is unconscionable,”’ says Burress. 

“’This is one place, “’ he adds, “’where we must not let California set the pace for the nation.  This disregard for human life cannot become common practice.  And we cannot let ‘iffy’ embryonic stem cell research divert resources away from adult stem cell research which is already saving lives.”

               The picture of Hwang Mi-Soon taking her first steps in 20 years is a vivid reminder that choosing adult stem cell research over embryonic stem cell research amounts to choosing life over death.”

Now for my comments:  As a result of the multimillion-dollar advertising campaign last November, California voters passed Proposition 71 which amends the California constitution and gives the biotech industry use of three billion dollars of borrowed taxpayers’ funds to be used specifically for human cloning and the destruction of human embryos for stem cell research which has always resulted in failure.  What a shame; the real source of success has come from adult stem cells as well as from the umbilical cord of a full-term baby.   Some day the life of that child via his placenta will be as valuable as other donated organs that are used to save lives.  It is ironic that with legal abortions we are not only taking a human life but we are also killing the sources of millions of cures.