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Text of
Working 2 Walk Speeches
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Susan Maus - Patient Advocate
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Working
2 Walk Symposium Opening Remarks
"'Mission
possible'.
This is why we have assembled here today to learn about
emerging therapies, the State of rehabilitation/recovery medicine,
and the establishment of clinical trials to test human application
of these therapies.
We cannot stop there. Most
of us realize our scientists, as tremendous as they are, cannot
achieve a cure for paralysis alone.
They need our help and support. . ."
More |
| "Christopher and Dana gave
this movement visibility. They
made everybody have to stop and look and think about what we should
be doing to make sure that we pass this act named in Chris’s
honor, and also to respect the need to find cures for every form of
paralysis. I am so
pleased to join all of you here today and to pledge my support for
this movement and this continuing effort. . . ." Excerpts
from Senator Clinton's speech |
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton
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Josh Basile - Patient Advocate
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"Scientists please
understand that the answer is out there and we need to piece the
puzzle together. This can only be done if we explore all
areas, all therapies, and all possible factors that will enable us
to re-connect the spinal cord. We must communicate and
understand what other scientists are doing so that we are not
overlapping the same clinical trials. . .
." More |
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"Think for a moment of the
great scientists, doctors and researchers in history, and how many
of these men and women were told their research goals were
IMPOSSIBLE. That a vaccine for polio, or a treatment for
diabetes, or the miracle of penicillin would never happen.
Yet, here we are, more than 100 years later, and these treatments
are not only possible - they're the norm. . . " More
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Joseph Briseno-
Patient Advocate
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Marilyn Smith - Patient Advocate
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"If you're the
family member of someone with a spinal cord injury, you will never
forget the moment when you heard the news. . . .The moment of injury
defines your life from that point forward. Your presence here today testifies to the new being
you are creating. The fire that was lit at the moment of
injury is burning bright today. It is fueled by hope, by
passion, and by a determination that must not falter . . . " More |
| "Christopher Reeve's death
was a shock for many of us, and a call to action. We finally
realized that there is nobody else to fight this war against
paralysis. It is up to us. We are the soldiers, the
generals, the commanders-in-chief. In paralysis as in war, the
repercussions ring far into the future. And just like
soldiers, all to often we bury our dead. . ." More |
Betheny Winkler - Patient
Advocate
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Noah Smith - Patient Advocate
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"While our presence here is
a testament to our strength in the face of adversity, the reality is
that there are hundreds of thousands of people whose resolve is
equal to our own, but who are unable to be with us because of
medical complications, physical pain, or a lack of finances. . . It
is our absence more than our presence in Washington that most cries
out for a cure . . . " More |
| "Whatever
your story is, and however you go about your advocacy - whether it's
writing letters to the editor of your local paper, writing OpEds for
major newspapers across the country, calling your elected officials,
or just wearing your Superman dogtags and being visible, talking to
your neighbors, I believe that each person has an ability to make a
difference. . . . ." More
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Kris Gulden - Patient Advocate
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Carl Richards - Patient Advocate
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"If you ask for
nothing, that's exactly what you will get! That's why we have
to be bold and ask. One of the most interesting statistics I've
heard about sales is this: The typical person will not say yes until
they've been asked 5 times, so . . . we can expect to hear no at
least four times before getting the answer we want. It means
that we have to keep telling our story and keep coming back and keep
asking. . ." More |
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