Representative Christopher H. Smith - (NJ04) - Smith teams with Dr. J, Medical Experts and Patients to Urge Senate Passage of Cord Blood Bill

[News from Congressman Chris Smith - 4th New Jersey

*** MEDIA ADVISORY ***

Smith teams with Dr. J, Medical Experts and Patients to Urge Senate Passage of Cord Blood Bill
Senate must stop delaying as patients wait, action needed on life saving legislation

WHO: Representative Christopher Smith (R-NJ) will be joined by:
           Rep. Artur Davis (D-AL), original co-sponsor of H.R. 2520
           Rep. Dave Weldon, M.D. (R-FL)
           Rep. Dan Lungren (R-CA)
           Rep. John Doolittle (R-CA)
           Rep. Donna Christensen (D-VI)
           Rep. Joe Pitts (R-PA)
           Other TBA House and Senate Members

           Julius "Dr. J" Erving, Hall of Fame Basketball Legend

          Doctors and Medical Experts including:
          Dr. Pablo Rubinstein, M.D., New York Blood Center
          Dr. Cladd Stevens, M.D., New York Blood Center
          Dr. Naynesh Kamani, National Children’s Medical Center
          Dr. Joanne Kurtzberg, M.D., Duke University Medical Center
          Dr. Jeffrey Chell, M.D., Chief Executive Officer, National Marrow Donor Program
          Dr. Ed Guindi, M.D., CORDUS Corporation

          Patients that have been treated and saved with Cord Blood:
          Maria Joya and her children Ashley and Kelvin, 4, both cord blood recipients (Maryland)
          Malcom Powell, 11, cord blood recipient for Sickle Cell Anemia (North Carolina)
          Spencer Barsh, 5, cord blood recipient for Lorenzo’s Oil (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
          Keone Penn, 19, cord blood recipient for Sickle Cell Disease (Georgia)
          Stephen Sprague, 57, cord blood recipient for Leukemia, (New York)
          Erik Haines, 13, 1st cord blood recipient for Krabbe's Disease

WHAT: U.S. Rep. Christopher Smith (R-NJ), Coalition Urge passage of life saving Cord Blood Bill
(H.R. 2520 / S. 1317)

WHEN: Thursday, October 6, 2005
10:30 A.M.

WHERE: Cannon Terrace
*** RAIN SITE: 2361 Rayburn Building (Committee on Small Business Hearing Room)

BACKGROUND: One of the best kept secrets in medicine today is that umbilical cord blood stem cells is curing people from terrible conditions and diseases. These miracle treatments have the potential to cure millions and could quickly be made available to tens of thousands of patients in need with Senate passage of Rep. Chris Smith’s bill – H.R. 2520, the Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Act of 2005 – which was passed by the House in May with a vote of 431-1. Patients who could be helped by cord blood stem cells currently wait in desperation while their government inexplicably waits to act on legislation that can treat them. The Senate needs to pass this non-controversial bill (S. 1317) now, and help patients in immediate need.

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For Immediate Release: October 5, 2005
Contact: Brad Dayspring (202) 225-3765