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Dear Jo>,
The past month has been an absolute whirlwind for Unite 2 Fight Paralysis and the spinal cord injury community. I'm going to start with the most recent event: the election of Donald Trump to the presidency. It's much too early to assess what this might mean to the various causes we serve, but suffice it to say that the landscape of the future may look much different than the one we live in now.
At U2FP we are paying close attention to developments in the areas that impact our community: scientific research, disability services, health care, incentives for charitable giving and innovation, to name a few. Rest assured that we are here to support the spinal cord injury community come what may, and we will continue to focus on the advancement of research and translation that targets recovery from paralysis. At Working 2 Walk I gave a short presentation on "What Advocacy Looks Like", including a video of the "Capitol Crawl" that helped pass the ADA. I think it's an appropriate reminder of the commitment we need to achieve our goals.
Just prior to the election, U2FP hosted its annual Working 2 Walk Science & Advocacy Symposium in Minneapolis. We had over 200 attendees representing all of the stakeholder groups who are working diligently to bring recovery from paralysis. Presentations focused on the latest advances in neuromodulation, promising discoveries in regeneration, the commercialization process, and the role of the consumer advocate along the bench to bedside continuum. In the words of first-time attendee Kate Chalfin:
"The size and format of the conference (including the room set up as tables instead of schoolroom), really facilitated meeting and getting to talk to new people in every area. Presenters were approachable and willing to answer questions, and action items that the community could do were continually focused on so we could envision our role in the path to curative treatments, instead of feeling like we were watching from the sideline."
Videos of the presentations are now being edited and reviewed, and will be posted to our Video Library as soon as they are ready (a few are already available). Meanwhile you can read Kate Willette's Live Blog for a recap written in real time.
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Speaking of Kate, she was the very deserving winner of this year's Cure Warrior Advocate Award. After 11 years of writing a Live Blog at Working 2 Walk, and publishing 3 books about spinal cord injury and advocacy, Kate certainly earned the honor. Her most recent book, Don't Call It a Miracle, is a handbook for advocates; hard copies & digital downloads are available at NO CHARGE from the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation. |
We'll have more updates on Working 2 Walk and U2FP's strategies for the future in upcoming newsletters. Let us work together to make the change we want to see.
In unity,
Marilyn
Unite 2 Fight Paralysis 3078 Eliot Dr Hood River OR 97031 u2fp.org
Our Angel and Visionary Supporters
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