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CPAC: Day Three

AdvanceUSA — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 04:33:43 GMT

By Daniel Herbster

The big news today was that Mitt Romney won the CPAC presidential straw poll for the third year in a row.

Radio talk show icon Rush Limbaugh gave a passionate address on the nature of conservatism and explained how conservatives could leave the political wilderness; by championing the timeless principles of limited government, traditional values, and strong national defense.

This year’s CPAC was a wealth of information and training. It is also a great forum for networking to advance the conservative movement.

CPAC: Day Two

AdvanceUSA — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 00:07:40 GMT

By Daniel Herbster

Early this morning I caught most of House Minority Leader John Boehner’s (R-OH) address and then headed off for another Leadership Institute class. After class, Newt Gingrich gave a rousing speech to a packed auditorium. He spoke on the need to not just criticize the dangerous liberal policies being enacted by Congress and the administration, but the need for conservatives to champion positive solutions based on conservative principles. Newt and his wife later introduced a newly produced documentary about the life and accomplishments of Ronald Reagan at a special screening.

After lunch and after checking out some of the display booths my friend and I tried to get into the main auditorium to hear Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) and former Gov. Mitt Romney speak. Unfortunately, we had to join hundreds of others stuck in line unable to find space in the room. I only caught bits and pieces of Ron Paul’s speech but was able to catch Romney’s speech via closed-circuit TV in a nearby ball room.

In my opinion, Romney gave the best speech I’ve heard so far at CPAC. He struck a very presidential pose and championed conservative core principles in a thoughtful and powerful manner. All three pillars of conservatism (defense, economic, and traditional values) were highlighted with particular emphasis on the need to keep Americans safe from foreign threats (chief of all; radical jihadists). The crowd was very receptive with much applause and numerous cheers (including a chant of “U-S-A, U-S-A, U-S-A” when Romney made a particularly patriotic statement).

Tomorrow should bring more great speakers, especially the grand finally with radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh.

For more information on today’s events visit CPAC.ORG.

CPAC: Day One

AdvanceUSA — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 23:58:40 GMT

By Daniel Herbster

Conservatism in America is alive and well if the record-setting crowd at this year’s CPAC is any indication. I spent much of the day in some of the extremely helpful and professional classes put on by the Leadership Institute. LI is famous for training the conservative candidates and activists of the future, and the instruction I received on television interviews and public speaking was first rate.

I did get to hear two notable speakers today. Congressman Mike Pence (R-IN) gave an excellent speech on the need to stay true to our first principles and to not give up the fight. He used the image of Fort McHenry in the War of 1812 to illustrate the need for determination and resolve. He cautioned against redefining conservatism or compromising our first principles, but made the case that free markets and traditional values were both equally important to the conservative agenda. Pence’s performance led to speculation that he might make an excellent presidential candidate in the future. (Hopefully I can get you some good speech excerpts in the future. There really were some great quotes.)

Former Governor Mike Huckabee (R-AK), after receiving a sweet introduction from his daughter, displayed his typical folksy charm and homespun humor. His speech seemed to drag a little times and some of his jokes fell flat, but many in the room showed enthusiastic approval.

I had a great time talking with friends from other conservative organizations and friendly Hill staffers, and am looking forward to tomorrow’s agenda.

I’m hoping to take in one more LI class, listen to Mitt Romney’s speech (and hopefully meet him), and check out several of the screenings of conservative films and documentaries. Oh, and it would be fun to run into my old acquaintance Stephen Baldwin since he’ll be there signing copies of his new book.

Check out www.CPAC.org for more info.

AdvanceUSA in the Classroom

AdvanceUSA — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 22:22:59 GMT

By Daniel Herbster

I had the opportunity to speak to sophomore biology students and senior chemistry students at my high school alma mater about stem cells, cloning, and the pro-life cause. The students at Community Baptist Christian School were great, and showed genuine interest in the presentation. I'd like to thank Miss Anderson for inviting me to speak to her students and for taking these photos.

Explaining the science of human embryo development.

For more information about bioethics and life issues check the pro-life, stem cell, adult stem cell, and human cloning pages at AdvanceUSA.org or check the stem cell, adult stem cell, pro-life, abortion, and human cloning categories at AdvanceUSA Blog.

March for Life Recap

AdvanceUSA — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 18:15:14 GMT

From the President: To read President Bush’s statements to marchers at the White House click here.

Good Reporting: Mark Hemingway from National Review Online has some great photos and excellent reporting of the march in a recent article.

Encouraging News: Barna says that evangelical Christians consider abortion their top concern (94% list it as an important issue).

More Resources: For more March for Life coverage from other bloggers check the FRC Blog.

UPDATE: The Washington Post has a great article today about the March For Life entitled “A Youthful Throng Marches Against Abortion.” Let’s hope other mainstream media outlets report this important event with the coverage it deserves.

Photos of the March for Life

AdvanceUSA — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 18:05:25 GMT

It is truly impressive to see the huge crowds of ordinary Americans marching in the streets of our nation’s capital, to expose the world to the injustice of abortion and to proclaim that the pro-life cause has not been abandoned. Here are some photos of yesterday’s March for Life event taken by AdvanceUSA DC staff member Daniel Herbster:

Praying for the end of Roe and the end of abortion

Massive crowds gathered in the shadow of the Capitol to hear pro-life speakers on the National Mall.

The spires of the Smithsonian look down on the gathering crowds.

A view of the crowds from the Capitol building

Braving the cold to rally for life

From the National Mall the crowds marched up Constitution Avenue to turn at the corner of Constitution and 1^st Street NE to file past the Supreme Court Building (where 35 years ago the “most democratically subversive act in the nation’s history” instituted abortion on demand). The marchers go right past the Senate office buildings (in the background of this photo is the Russell Senate Office Building ) so let’s hope a few Senators took a peak out their window and saw that the pro-life cause keeps marching on.

Crowds marching past the Supreme Court

Girls hold a banner with the inscription “Life: The Greatest Gift of All”

Women representing the “Silent No More” organization give testimony of the hurt they feel because of their abortions. Many of the men and women who spoke revealed how they had found forgiveness and healing after abortion through their faith in Jesus Christ.

The signs they hold say it all: “I Regret My Abortion.” This is a perspective not often recounted by the national media.

One man shared how he had encouraged his wife to get an abortion and that he regrets his decision.

Across the street from the Supreme Court is the Capitol

This man comes every year singing the rosary and praying in front of the Supreme Court. You can see the Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress in the background.

The Capitol on a cold January 22, 2008

Photos by Daniel Herbster

Photos from the Blogs for Life

AdvanceUSA — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 03:49:50 GMT

Our friends at FRC were generous enough to host many conservative bloggers to hear a wonderful selection of pro-life activists, thinkers, and politicians.

Staying warm in the lovely facilities at FRC

Michael Illions shares the story of his son Cole who he and his wife decided to have despite incredible pressure to simply abort their child late in the pregnancy due to potentially severe health concerns. Mr. Illions and his wife do not regret their decision to “choose life.”

Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS), pro-life and pro-family champion of the Senate.

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Chairman of the House Pro-Life Caucus and a strong pro-life leader.

Photos by Daniel Herbster

Special Report 3: Blogs for Life / March for Life 2008

AdvanceUSA — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 03:46:02 GMT

Daniel Herbster (AdvanceUSA DC staff member) posting:

At the conservative blogger luncheon I was privileged to attend, we again heard from Johnson County (Kansas) District Attorney Phil Kline about his efforts to investigate Planned Parenthood for serious breaches of the law.

We then heard from Hadley Arkes again who mentioned the importance of selecting a pro-life president. He said that a president can sometimes err by being “all action and no talk.” His point is that a president should lead the charge in articulating a pro-life philosophy and spearhead real efforts to restrict abortion and foster a culture of life (not just do the bare minimum to be considered pro-life). Turning his attention to the current presidential primary, Arkes encouraged the Republican Party to not abandon the classic balance of social, economic, and defense conservatism and warned that three of the five major GOP candidates (this was before news of Fred Thompson’s withdrawal became public) would fracture this important coalition.

After the blogger conference I traipsed over to the National Mall to survey the massive crowds, take in a few pro-life speeches, take some photos of the crowds from the Capitol, and take in the events being held in front of the Supreme Court building.

I hope to get some of my photos up soon.

Special Report 2: Blogs for Life / March for Life 2008

AdvanceUSA — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 19:06:49 GMT

Daniel Herbster ( AdvanceUSA DC staff member) posting:

Earlier this morning Kansas prosecuting attorney (and former KS Attorney General) Phil Kline chronicled his dealings with the notorious abortion pusher Planned Parenthood in his home state and demonstrated how the mainstream media's pro-abortion bias clouds their judgment and observations (some times almost humorously). It was great to see, in person, this pro-life crusader who is attempting to expose the abuses of Planned Parenthood and bring them to justice.

Next, Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) reiterated the need to examine Planned Parenthood and do everything possible to insure that they do not receive taxpayer dollars. He referenced a recent speech he gave on the House floor called "time to take a second look at child abuse incorporated" which you can read for yourself here.

Now I'm listening to Hadley P. Arkes (one of our friends from FRC) who is emphasizing that judicial nominations are not the only means for promoting the "culture of life." Too often pro-lifers think that overturning Roe is the only thing we can do (as good as that would be) and are too easily mollified by politicians who promise us "good judges."

Next I'll be attending a luncheon for conservative bloggers, and then I hope to venture out into the cold and observe some of the March for Life myself.

Check back with AdvanceUSA Blog for photos of today's events.

Live "March for Life" Coverage

AdvanceUSA — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 16:36:14 GMT

To view the March for Life event live check out their website. To view live streaming of the Blogs for Life event at FRC check FRC's blog.

For more coverage of today's pro-life events be sure to check back with AdvanceUSA Blog!

Special Report: Blogs for Life / March for Life 2008

AdvanceUSA — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 16:31:36 GMT

Daniel Herbster (AdvanceUSA DC staff member) posting:

Though the weather outside is frigid, I got to spend the morning in the warm confiness of the Family Research Center in downtown Washington , DC.

Today is the "March for Life" and I am covering the "Blogs for Life" event here at FRC. We've heard from several special speakers about the pro-life movement and harnesing technology in that effort.

Michael Illions told the story of his son Cole. Late in his wife's pregnancy doctors told the couple that their unborn son had irreparable brain defects and encouraged the couple to have an abortion. Though the couple experienced much pressure to abort the child they were determined to give their son a chance at life. Now they are glad they chose life as their son Cole, despite serious health challenges, has the prospects of a fairly normal life. The Illions' inspiring story is a stirring challenge for us to respect all human life, despite serious challenges.

We next heard from Sen. Sam Brownback, who has long been a champion of the pro-life and pro-family cause. He reminded us of the wonderful history behind the march for life and warned us that despite the massive crowds that would gather today in the nation's capital, the mainstream media would most likely minimize the significance of the March for Life. The Senator reminded our gathering that we are "fighting for life" and not against people, activists, women, or doctors. What we are fighting against, he said, is "death, fear, and despair."

Many great speakers (including: Michael New, Phil Kline, Rep. Chris Smith, and others) are coming up!

Check back later for more special reports. Hopefully, I will be posting some photos of the March and of some of today's speakers later today or tomorrow.

March For Life 2008: 35 Years of Roe

AdvanceUSA — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 23:33:21 GMT

January 22, 2008 marks the 35^th anniversary of the Roe vs. Wade decision in which the Supreme Court usurped the will of the people, ignored the authority of representative government, and erroneously declared a constitutional right to kill unborn children in the womb. The verdict opened the door to abortion on demand and, as Cal Thomas points out, devastatingly damaged our culture and society.

For years, in our nation’s capital and across the country, the March for Life has taken place on this somber anniversary, and this year’s events will be especially important. AdvanceUSA will be blogging the events in Washington , DC live and anticipates supplying first-hand reporting on our website and blog.

“Abolition of Man? How Politics and Culture Have Been Dehumanized in the Name of Science”

AdvanceUSA — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 23:04:18 GMT

AdvanceUSA had the privilege of attending a lecture last week by John West (Senior Fellow at the Discovery Institute) at the Heritage Foundation at which he explained the effects of scientific materialism on American culture and political thought. In his lecture West highlighted 5 specific effects of scientific materialism evident today.

technocracy elevated above democracy
pursuit of utopianism
dehumanization
moral relativism
stifling of free speech and free debate

To hear an audio recording of this very insightful lecture click here or here. For more information about this and other Heritage Foundation events click here.

Values Voter Summit Recap

AdvanceUSA — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 21:23:13 GMT

AdvanceUSA was privileged to attend the Values Voter Summit this past weekend which hosted numerous conservative speakers and all nine major Republican presidential candidates (all Democrat candidates were invited but all declined or refused to respond).

The values voters in attendance heard from such notable speakers as Newt Gingrich, Laura Ingram, Star Parker, Robert Bork, Michael Steele, and Paul Weyrich. Additionally, there were panel discussions about conservative women in politics, the power of the media, and battling for the culture through the movie industry. The Summit culminated in a gala banquet honoring the life and ministry of Dr. James Dobson (video excerpts and commentary here) who took the opportunity to clarify his position on voting for a lesser party, pro-life candidate in the event the Republican party nominates a pro-choice candidate.

The National Review observes that after the Values Voter Summit and last night’s Fox News debate, the GOP field is still wide open.

As noted earlier Mitt Romney won the overall straw poll while Mike Huckabee won among voters actually in attendance (full results here).

Continue reading to view video clips of candidate speeches at the Values Voter Summit (more will be added as they become available).

UPDATE: FRC is providing transcripts of the speeches of each presidential candidate who spoke at the recent Values Voter Summit. Below are links to the transcripts:

Romney and Huckabee Win Values Voter Straw Poll

AdvanceUSA — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 14:45:47 GMT

This past weekend at the Family Research Council’s Values Voter Summit in Washington , DC a straw poll was taken to determine which candidate values voters were most likely to support. Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney won the overall poll (internet and on-site voters) while former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee won among the values voters who voted on-site.

Below are breakdowns of the poll results for the top five vote-getters courtesy of our friends at FRC.

Which of the following candidates for President would you be most likely to vote for?

Overall Results

Mitt Romney	1595	27.62%
Mike Huckabee	1565	27.15%
Ron Paul	865	14.98%
Fred Thompson	564	9.77%
Undecided	329	5.70%
Total	5,775	100%

Onsite Straw Poll Results

Mike Huckabee	488	51.26%
Mitt Romney	99	10.40%
Fred Thompson	77	8.09%
Tom Tancredo	65	6.83%%
Rudy Giuliani	60	6.30%
Total	952	100%

Full results at FRC.org.

AdvanceUSA to Attend Values Voter Summit

AdvanceUSA — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 02:01:38 GMT

AdvanceUSA will be in attendance at this weekend’s Values Voter Summit in Washington, DC sponsored by our good friends at the Family Research Council and others. Conservatives from around the country will be present to hear well-known conservative leaders and thinkers. All of the Republican presidential candidates will be in attendance and a straw poll will be conducted to determine who values voters intend to support.

Check back with AdvanceUSA Blog next week to see what happens.

FRC has produced a humorous spoof of a well-know dating service (click here or see below) to illustrate the importance of really getting to know presidential candidates and seriously considering just who represents one’s values and convictions. AdvanceUSA encourages all concerned citizens to be diligent to inform themselves about the issues and candidates facing our nation.

“[Un]fairness Doctrine” Denounced by Sen. Coleman at Heritage Foundation Event, AdvanceUSA Attends

AdvanceUSA — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 14:44:52 GMT

“The fairness doctrine flies in the face of the First Amendment.”

-Sen. Norm Coleman

Pointing out that the “fairness doctrine” is not fair at a Heritage Foundation event today (video posted tomorrow) Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) said “the fairness doctrine is the biggest misnomer since jumbo shrimp.” He went on to explain how the fairness doctrine violates the First Amendment’s protections of free political speech. He asked rhetorically if we really wanted government regulators monitoring broadcasts with pencil, paper, and stopwatch enforcing their idea of “fair and balanced.”

Fortunately Sen. Coleman did not expect fairness doctrine legislation to make any progress in the current Congress but voiced his fears that a future liberal administration combined with a liberal Congress would quickly introduce such dangerous legislation.

Congressman Thomas Price had a helpful piece published yesterday entitled “The Left’s Push to Silence Free Speech.”

Washington Press Conference in Support of Judge Southwick’s Nomination, AdvanceUSA Attends

AdvanceUSA — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 14:06:23 GMT

AdvanceUSA attended a press conference yesterday on Capitol Hill to show support for the embattled nomination of Judge Leslie Southwick for the 5^th Circuit Court of Appeals. Senators Arlen Specter (R-PA) and Orin Hatch (R-UT) led the event which was well attended by conservative activists, concerned citizens, and members of the media.

UPDATE: Click here to view a video clip of the press conference.

Sen. Specter kicks off the press conference advocating the speedy approval of Judge Southwick with many concerned citizen-activists gathered in support.

Judge Leslie Southwick served honorably in the National Guard, going out of his way to seek deployment in

Iraq

despite being over 50 years old.

Sen. Hatch also spoke in support of Southwick mentioning the unanimous opinion of the American Bar Association (ABA) that Southwick was “well-qualified.” This is the highest approval the ABA can give and Hatch wryly noted that he had no recollection of that organization ever having been accused of being “too conservative.”

Sen. Hatch noted that the Washington Post’s recent headline entitled “Qualified to Serve” says it all.

Vietnam

veteran Jim Warner (winner of two Purple Hearts and also an experienced lawyer) supports fellow veteran Leslie Southwick’s nomination. Warner explained how judges often must join opinions with which they agree even if they do not necessarily endorse all the judicial reasoning behind those decisions.

Tony Perkins (former Marine and current President of the Family Research Council) cited examples of judicial activism on the part of liberal judges highly approved by those on the left as evidence of the need for more judges like Leslie Southwick. Perkins, with one of the best lines of the press conference, called the malicious allegations hurled at Southwick’s record and character “I.E.D.s”, “intentional exaggerations and deceitfulness.”

David Keene (Chairman of the American Conservative Union) said judges should be approved based on qualifications not ideology and said “if ever there was a qualified nominee who deserves a vote, [Southwick] is it.”

Wendy Wright (CWA) urged senators not to be controlled by liberal interest groups but to approve Judge Southwick whom she described as an American hero. She paraphrased the famous quote “justice delayed is justice denied” to advocate a speedy vote.

Veteran Marine Jim Martin (now with the 60 Plus organization) emphasized his support and admiration of Judge Leslie Southwick.

Photos by Daniel Herbster

AdvanceUSA Attends White House Briefing on Improving Education Through Faith-Based and Community Initiatives

AdvanceUSA — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 14:57:30 GMT

Tuesday afternoon AdvanceUSA, along with educators, community leaders, and education advocates, attended the “Compassion in Action Roundtable” sponsored by the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. The topic of the roundtable was “Real Choices for Educational Improvement: How Faith-Based and Community Organizations Help Bridge the Achievement Gap.”

A number of government, church, educational, and community leaders shared success stories of rising test scores and parental satisfaction because of the intervention of faith-based and community organizations. Among the speakers were Bishop William Lori who spoke about the dramatic improvements in inner city schools in Bridgeport , Connecticut as well as Sally Sachar, Virginia Walden-For, and Chris Kelly who highlighted the DC Opportunity Scholarship Program which benefits low income families in the nation’s capital.

AdvanceUSA was pleased to hear several speakers emphasize the need for school choice. Two general categories of school choice were discussed.

Vouchers are direct payments by the government to parents or schools in order to provide for students’ private or public education thus providing more options than just the local school district.

Tax Credits allow parents to deduct some or all of their tuition payments from their taxes, or they give individuals or businesses a tax credit for contributing to a non-public school scholarship fund. Some school choice advocates prefer this method as it minimizes government involvement in private school affairs.

The U.S. Department of Education’s new report entitled “Education Options in the States: State Programs that Provide Financial Assistance for Attendance at Private Elementary or Secondary Schools” was also highlighted at the event and can be read online here.

AdvanceUSA hopes this interesting and inspiring meeting will help advance the cause of school choice for parents and further improve the state of education in America through the efforts of faith-based and community initiatives.

For more information on school choice ideas check the AdvanceUSA pro-family page.

AdvanceUSA Attends Reception for Students for Life

AdvanceUSA — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 20:37:54 GMT

AdvanceUSA staff had the opportunity last night to attend a reception for an exciting pro-life organization.

Students for Life of America is doing excellent work across the country recruiting and training the next generation of pro-lifers. Here’s an excerpt from their website:

A pro-life, student-run, non-profit organization since 1987, Students for Life of America is the nation's oldest pro-life organization wholly devoted to educating college students about the medical and ethical issues of abortion, euthanasia, and infanticide.

Formerly known as American Collegians for Life, SFL's commitment to facilitating the pro-life movement on American college campuses has remained strong since its founding. SFL has worked to develop a nationwide network of prolife students. Now connecting hundreds of college campuses in the largest national directory of its kind, Students for Life will continue to serve pro-life champions in every college and university in America .

At last night’s reception pro-life activists were introduced to the Students for Life regional recruiters who after this week’s training will fan out across the country working with college students and groups for the cause of life.

For more information on Students for Life, check their website.

AdvanceUSA Participates in Press Conference to Support Judge Southwick

AdvanceUSA — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 20:05:17 GMT

AdvanceUSA and a number of conservative groups held a press conference yesterday led by Sen. Specter (R-PA) to correct the record about the sterling record and qualifications of Judge Leslie Southwick and to demand he receive a fair up-or-down vote in the full Senate. Judge Southwick was nominated by President Bush to sit on the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, was unanimously rated "well qualified" by the ABA, and volunteered for active duty in Iraq. However, liberal interest groups, determined to prohibit qualified, originalist judges from reaching the federal bench, have sought to derail his nomination through character assassination and blatantly misleading allegations.

Appointing qualified, originalist judges to the federal bench is one of the most important issues facing our nation and should be a high priority for conservatives in Congress and conservative citizens contemplating presidential candidates.

AdvanceUSA has more information on Judge Southwick on its home page and pro-justice page. Also, there are a number of past blog posts about Southwick's nomination, the support for Southwick from Sen. McConnell and from Sen. Specter (transcript here), the broken promises by some senators, and the shameless attempts by some liberals to use Southwick's race against him.

UPDATE: This article from Investors Business Daily adds more helpful perspective on why liberals oppose Judge Southwick so strenuously.

UPDATE: CWA has provided video clips of the press conference in support of Judge Southwick.

Adult Stem Cell Successes Highlighted at Press Conference: AdvanceUSA Attends

AdvanceUSA — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 19:32:15 GMT

A press conference yesterday in the nation’s capital highlighted the amazing success stories of patients who have been treated with their own adult stem cells and the doctors who are on the cutting edge of this exciting and ethical field of research. AdvanceUSA had the pleasure to attend this press conference (see photos below) at the National Press Club sponsored by our friends at FRC and Do No Harm.

Dr. David Prentice led the discussion in which doctors and patients explained the benefits of using adult stem cell treatments. One of the main purposes of the event was to show that there are indeed ethical and effective alternatives to research that destroys human embryos. The U.S. Senate will soon vote on whether to override or sustain President Bush’s veto of an unethical stem cell funding bill so this information is critically important. Another purpose was to raise awareness of a new bill (H.R. 2807) proposed by Rep. Randy Forbes (R-VA) and Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-IL) which intensifies support for the ethical kinds of stem cell research already showing great promise for treatments and cures. The bill has been called “The Patients First Act," focusing attention on the fact that ethical research is already treating real people right now.

To hear a recording of the event click here. For more information on adult stem cell research click here.

See the photos and captions below to learn more about this important press conference.

Can you see the difference? Dr. Amit N. Patel, MD, MS, shows before and after pictures of heart muscle tissue that had received bone marrow stem cells from the patient’s own body in his presentation aptly named “Mending a Broken Heart.” The increased blood vessel growth is obvious. Later, Dr. Patel had the audience in rapt attention when he showed actual footage of heart surgery in which a patient received adult stem cell injections.

Dr. David Prentice began the meeting with a presentation on the basic science behind stem cell research in which he emphasized the wealth of medical research supporting the use of ethical adult stem cell research rather than its unethical embryonic counterpart.

Dr. Julio Voltarelli, M.D., Ph.D. is a specialist in immunology from São Paulo, Brazil who has successfully used adult stem cell transplantation to treat Juvenile (Type 1) diabetes. Of the 15 patients Dr. Voltarelli treated, 14 saw immediate improvement and only 2 of those have had relapses since their treatment. Dr. Voltarelli stressed the need for more such research with larger numbers of participants.

Jaider Furlan Abbud (center of photo) is a dental surgeon from São Paulo , Brazil who experienced adult-onset Type 1 diabetes soon after his thirty-first birthday. After receiving chemotherapy to destroy his overly aggressive immune system, Abbud was treated with his own adult stem cells by Dr. Voltarelli and has experienced remarkable improvement. He no longer needs insulin injections and says his quality of life has drastically improved.

Stephen Sprague was suffering from the late stages of myelogenous leukemia and was told he did not have long to live. After chemotherapy he was in desperate need of a bone marrow transplant but was not likely to receive one. Fortunately, even though few mothers were donating their infants’ cord blood in 1997, Sprague was almost a perfect genetic match for a cord blood donor. Almost 9 years after the cord blood transplant, he is now fully cured of his leukemia and has lived to see three grandsons born. Sprague now considers himself a “Cord Blood Crusader” and is a consultant for the New York Blood Center ’s National Cord Blood Program (http://www.nationalcordbloodprogram.org/).

Doug Rice (retired Marine) was told he had little time to live because of congestive heart failure. After hearing about adult stem cell research, he borrowed $40,000 so he could travel to Bangkok , Thailand where he received an injection of his own stem cells. As the Spokane Spokesman-Review reported:

“Rice was the subject of an April 2006 story in The Spokesman-Review after he flew to Thailand to have his own reproduced adult stem cells injected back into his heart by a biotech company called TheraVitae.

Since returning to Bangkok in January for a second procedure at a cost of $40,000, Rice's ejection fraction -- the measure of how well his heart is pumping blood -- has risen from a low of 15 percent to 40 percent.”

Doug wants to see such treatments available in the U.S. and says that “embryonic [stem cell research] is a waste of time and unethical.” Doug's website is douglastrice.org.

Dr. David Prentice (bio)

From left to right: Spephen Sprague, Doug Rice, Dr. Patel, Dr. Abbud

For more information on adult stem cell research click here.

*Photography by Daniel Herbster