Sad news

Bill just sent out the news that BOGO Wines is disbanding. BOGO has been running on the sacrifices, the good will, and purchases of so many people. But ultimately, good businesses supporting good causes need good profits. Bill puts it like this:

In a nutshell, BOGO should have been “stopped on cuts” two years ago. We have only been able to generate 25% of the needed sales to be self sustaining and to turn a small profit. And not to long ago, when I was still hoping against hope, my wife Dawn said “Bill, you have tried to do the impossible” She is right. Although, in the past three years while attempting to do the impossible, I have been blessed beyond measure. The relationships that I have been privileged to be part of, whether with organization or individuals, has truly be been humbling. But the best part of all this has been you, the customer. When people have asked me when BOGO will be available in their local wine stores, I explained “when there are enough people like my current customers. People who are compassionate, informed, active, prayerful and enjoy a good glass of wine. It has been an honor dealing with all of you.

Bill, you stepped out in faith with this venture. While BOGO may not have generated enormous revenue, it did help spread the word about ethical stem cell research and therapies in a completely novel way. It will be amazing to see what doors God opens for you now. Thanks, Bill, for all you have done.

Putting our money where our morals are

Chelsea’s got the scoop on a sure thing in the investment world . . . adult stem cell biotechs, such as StemCyte and Osiris Therapeutics. Plenty of people are finding it a lucrative thing to put their money (and make their money) where our morals are. Read about it here.

Meanwhile, let’s not forget orgs such as BOGO Wines and the John Paul II Stem Cell Research Institute, who need our support to keep doing what they are doing.  Let’s not forget to put our money where our morals are.

Jesus of Nazareth and Stem Cells

Bill Schneeberger sends in this beautiful reflection:

On a flight from Chicago to Cleveland, I found myself seated next to wonderful women who asked me what I did for a living.  I replied that I was a professional speaker and that I had just been interviewed for a TV show where we discussed the issue of stem cell research. Well Jessica gave me the “stem cell stare” and murmured “Oh, that’s nice.” Because I have been subject to that look hundreds of times before, I asked her if she knew anything about stem cell research and she gave me the obligatory answer, ” Yes, a little.” I then asked this young woman-who I might add, was 29 years old, college educated, informed, articulate, and on her way to a number of business appointments with some very high profile customers-if she had stem cells in her body. Her answer was (you guessed it), “I don’t know.”

It finally dawned on me that the ignorance of stem cells was even worse than I had thought, and believe me, I know it is bad. No wonder BOGO Wines has been a monumental struggle. People don’t even know the basic biological fact that we all have stem cells, from the moment of our conception to our death.

This brings me to the title of this article: Jesus of Nazareth & Stem Cells.  The Incarnation of Jesus is a keystone of the Christian faith.  The process of Jesus becoming fully human is stated in the Bible when John says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1).  John goes on to reinforce this point when he says, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father” (John 1:14).   Furthermore, the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that Jesus was both fully God, as well as fully human.  Therefore, because Jesus was fully human, He had stem cells!

Shortly after Jesus Christ, King of Kings, was conceived, tiny stem cells carefully began to divide into all of the specialized tissues of His body.  As tissues and organs began to take shape, more specialized adult stem cells housed themselves in His heart, liver, skin, and bone marrow.  These adult stem cells inside the body of Jesus would be responsible for repairing and refurbishing His body throughout his 33 years on earth!  So, can stems cells be bad? No way! Stem cells are nature’s building blocks that repair and refurbish our bodies as we go through life. All people of all ages have stem cells.

So, PLEASE let everyone know that we all have stem cells!  Stem cells have the remarkable potential to develop into many different types of cells. They serve as a repair system for the body in order to replenish cells as they die off. When a stem cell divides, each new cell has the potential to either remain a stem cell or to become a more specialized cell, with a specific function, such as a muscle or liver cell.

Stem cell-based therapies propose to treat human medical conditions by replacing cells that have been lost or damaged through disease or injury.  Unlike an organ transplant, where a damaged or diseased tissue is removed and then replaced with a comparable organ from a donor, stem cell therapies involve integration of replacement cells into the existing tissues of the patient.

The moral and practical problems arise when researchers attempt to treat conditions with human embryonic stem cells.  Human embryos must be destroyed in order to obtain these cells. This means you have to kill a human being.  Also, treatment with embryonic stem cells is futile because scientists are unable to predict or control the ways in which these cells divide-the result of this uncontrolled division is deadly, cancerous tumors.  Furthermore, the body of a patient will invariably reject embryonic stem cells in the same way the body rejects a virus or transplanted organ.

Adult stem cells, on the other hand, do not require the destruction of human embryos, and will not be rejected-because they come from the patient’s own body.  Thus far, over 70 different diseases and conditions (www.stemcellresearch.org) have been treated with adult stem cells (without any moral complication).  Adult stem cells are hard at work, rebuilding, refurbishing and saving lives in practical and ethical ways!

Editor’s notes: Please consider purchasing BOGO wines (and Two Hearts Confections) . If we want to have life-affirming businesses around - those that not only give us quality products, but offer an opportunity to contribute to ethical research and educuation, then we’ve got to support them. It’s just that simple.

 Want to read more about Jesus and stem cells? Be sure to read Unborn Jesus Our Hope, beginning here.

Action item concerning Adult Stem Cell Awareness

If you have read our “Who” page, you know that the impetus for this project is not just the fun of blogging, but ultimately to generate interest in a Presidential proclamation designating June as Adult Stem Cell Awareness Month.

 A letter has been delivered to President Bush requesting just this. Now we need anyone who cares about this issue to support the proclamation request by making phone calls, sending in emails, whatever it takes to make your voice heard. We all know the clock is ticking here. No matter who our next President may be, none of the likely candidates have a strong committment to adult stem cell research. In fact, we stand to lose some of the legislative gains we have made. We need to do what we can with the time we have.

Read Bill Schneeberger’s letter here. Think about the power of branding via “awareness” logos. Consider the ubiquitious, innocuous power of the pink ribbon not only during the month of October (Breast Cancer Awareness Month), but all through the year.  The Pink Ribbon Campaign was jump-started by a proclamation from President Clinton. Imagine how we could market the cause of “Cures without Controversy” in such a way. Consider what you will do to help. Need ideas? Stay tuned.

Rejoice, Rejoice!

First, if you don’t visit over these few remaining days of Advent, we want to take this opportunity to wish you all a beautiful and holy Christmas season. We have so much to celebrate in the very Incarnation and birth of Christ our Savior! Truly, let us REJOICE!

Second, we have great news to share with you! Our friend and sponsor Bill Schneeberger’s Christmas gift was delivered a little early . . . and the mission behind this blog is truly beginning to unfold as hoped. Bill has been working for a long time to secure a Presidential Proclamation designating June as Adult Stem Cell Awareness Month. Finally, Alabama Governor Bob Riley has sponsored and drafted the request letter,  and is sending it to President Bush as I write.  Senator Sam Brownback’s office and, in particular, his Chief of Staff, Robert K. Wasinger, will be following the request closely and assisting  with the proclamation process.

If President Bush does indeed designate June as Adult Stem Cell Awareness Month, so much can be done on the federal level to help educate Americans about the real hope and real cures that come from adult stem cell research and therapies. Awareness campaign proclamations really work - skeptical? Think pink . . . or red . . .

We’ll follow up after the new year to suggest ways that you can help bring about Adult Stem Cell Awareness Month - stay stuned. And most of all, have a happy and grace-filled Christmas!

A day late and a dollar short?

All the fantastic news about induced pluripotent stem cell breakthroughs has had me wondering if this blog should be nominated for an award. I think we could qualify for: Worst Timed Blog Ever! Yeah, a month or so into blogging and the need for “adult stem cell awareness” has just become superfluous. But is that really true? No, it’s not true. This commentary sent in from Bill Schneeberger helps clarify the continuing need for ongoing “adult stem cell  awareness” initiatives:

Why have we not seen an article that references the expertise of adult stem cell researchers in the mainstream media. This is unbelievable! I have met, spoken with,  and shared a glass of wine with actual patients whose lives have been saved because of adult stem cell research. Not one of these patients’ stories (to my knowledge) has come out in the past few days.

Adult Stem Cell Research is not just about saving embryos. It is also about born persons being cured yesterday, today and tomorrow from real adult stem cell therapy.

It is critical that we spread the word so this life saving therapy is available to everyone. I just spoke to a wine customer of mine who been told that he has congestive heart failure. And guess what? He needs to be told of the benefits available to him - adult stem cell therapy.

The news from the past few days is wonderful but it is only the first step in a long journey to get the truth out.

Thanks Bill - I needed to be reminded. Back to work we go.

Please pray for the intentions of ASCA

That’s us “Adult Stem Cell Awareness” blog.  A major development in our mission to promote adult stem cell awareness on a national level will be coming to resolution on Friday. Bill Schneeberger has been working very hard behind the scenes to keep “cures without controversy” in the  minds and hearts of Catholics and other conscientious voters - and, God willing, soon we will begin to see this mission take off!

Your prayers are appreciated and needed.

Motivated yet? Are you ready to blog?

We need Catholic bloggers to join this initiative to make the issues we care about more accessible, better known, and more widely disseminated. All over the U.S. are state and local ballots with lethal implications - not only for the embryos who will be used, abused, and disposed of, but consider all the people who will not benefit from life-saving adult stem cell therapies that were underfunded and undeveloped because state funds were slated for embryonic stem cell research. Research, friends, that many no longer even pretend is meant to yield cures.

Meanwhile, although cures and life-saving turnarounds from adult stem cell therapies have been saving people for decades, some of the sickest patients in the United States have to travel to faraway countries to receive adult stem cell therapies. Dr. Dario Fauza believes he can save babies prenatally diagnosed with a number of conditions from tissue generated from cells taken from babies’ amniotic fluid. But years after these initial great results, he recently informed me, he has not been given permission to begin clinical trials. Why is that?

What can we do about it? What must we do about it? First, if you are a Catholic/pro-life blogger - will you help? Let’s get the word out there to our people. Have your own blog? You can commit to blogging periodically about adult stem cell successes. If you’d like to blog it here on Adult Stem Cell Awareness, we’d like to have you join the team! Send in a comment and we’ll be in touch with you.

Second, let’s advocate! There is a bill in committee right now that needs our support. The Patient First Act of 2007 is sitting in committee and it needs some action. This Act can help cut through frustrating inactivity and counter the state-level shenanigans that fill the coffers of dead-end and destructive embryonic stem cell research labs. Let’s get the word out to make sure the House Energy and Commerce Committee knows what we want them to do.

We can make a difference - and it doesn’t even require all that much of us. This is a cause that we can all feel good about it: cures without controversy!

Adult stem cell scientist answers a few questions

Monica Rafie | Tuesday, 16 October 2007

Adult stem cells still trump embryonic

Martin Evans, last week awarded the Nobel prize for medicine, is rethinking his retirement plans. The discovery of embryonic stem cells in mice was groundbreaking, but creating “knock-out” mice to isolate and identify particular genes earned him and his colleagues the career-crowning prize. When the beaming “father” of stem cell research proclaims, “We will have the therapeutic medicine without the embryos. And it’s not a matter of if, but when,” one wonders why he seems not to acknowledge that there are already existing stem cell cures and therapies for an impressive number of conditions, including sickle cell anaemia, and various cancers… without the embryos. continue at Mercatornet

Announcing the campaign: Cures without Controversy

Tuesday morning, Bill Schneeberger of BOGO wines spoke with Teresa Tomeo about the campaign to bring adult stem cell awareness to the people, for the people, beginning with a Presidential proclamation to name June as the official Adult Stem Cell Awareness month. Why June? Why a proclamation? Why does it matter? Listen in at Ave Maria Radio.