Tasmania, Australia: future generations might be spared this fate if a Bill
 

I know this is politics and I usually avoid politics in the Forum, but as it is in the USA, it is all over the world. Terry Martin reminded me of so many in the USA who fight this battle on their personal home-fronts/states. His words below about the his future echo many of use, especially those newly dxd.


Martin faces fight of his life
Article from: The Mercury
PHILIPPA DUNCAN

October 29, 2007 01:00am
http://www.news.com.au/mercury/story...007221,00.html

THERE will be no golden retirement for Terry Martin.

Instead, he will end up struggling to talk, smile, swallow and blink as his brain loses control of his body to Parkinson's disease.

But future generations might be spared this fate if a Bill to allow therapeutic cloning passes Tasmania's Parliament.

Mr Martin doesn't want to be labelled as the "politician with Parkinson's".

But, in a frank interview, the independent Elwick MLC reluctantly spoke about what awaits him 15 to 20 years in the future.

"Your mind's fine, but you lose control of your body," he said.

"I'll have problems moving my face, smiling spontaneously, blinking.

"And the thing that I most fear is that my ability to speak will deteriorate."

He has pushed aside his reluctance to talk about the disease on the eve of controversial legislation to lift the ban on therapeutic cloning being debated in the Upper House.

The Bill, which would allow the creation of human embryos and stem cells for medical research, passed the Lower House last week, 15 votes to 10.

Those who opposed the Bill said human embryos should not be created to be destroyed.

But those who voted yes spoke of the possibility of miracle cures for people with diseases like Parkinson's, diabetes and spinal-cord injury.

Mr Martin, who was diagnosed with the disease two years ago, believes an important point has been missed in the debate.

He said people had considered the sanctity of life of the human embryo, but not of future generations who could suffer debilitating diseases.

"Whether the issue is a moral question depends upon whether you consider the stem cell is a human life," he said.

"There is no right or wrong answer.

"It is purely a subjective judgment for each of us based on our own set of beliefs."

He respects those who conclude the cell is life, but urges them to consider the sanctity of life of not just the cell but of future generations of disease sufferers.

"All I'm saying is that these people have sanctity of life as well," he said.

"The words `sanctity of life' in debate and submissions so far have been applied purely to the stem cell."

Mr Martin holds no hope the research will produce a cure for him.

"I don't have a vested interest because when you're talking about research you're talking about decades," he said.

"That will be clearly too late for me."

At this early stage, Parkinson's is just a frustration for Mr Martin, reducing the dexterity in his right hand and slowing simple tasks such as rolling his shirt sleeves.

There is also a constant ache is his right arm, but medication has controlled the tremors that first showed something was wrong.

Mr Martin figures he has another 10 years of working life ahead and plans to recontest his seat in 2010.

"When you get a diagnosis like this, it puts a time span on your life," he said.

"It's a little bit liberating in a way. It makes you value every minute.

"In a lot of ways it has been the best thing that has happened to me."
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