JIM CORDY'S TESTIMONY BEFORE CONGRESS

[HOFFHEIMER@xxxxxxx]

Statement of James T. Cordy=0Abefore=0AHouse Appropriations Subcommittee =
for the Departments of=0ALabor, Health & Human Services, Education and Re=
lated Agencies=0AFebruary 4, 1998=0A10:00am=0A=0AMr.. Chairman and member=
s of the committee.  My name is Jim Cordy. I have=0AParkinson=92s disease=
.  Formerly I was an engineer in R&D at a specialty steel=0Acompany.  Par=
kinson=92s forced me onto disability 3 years ago.  Currently I am=0APresi=
dent of the Pittsburgh chapter of the National Parkinson Foundation, a=0A=
member of the National Parkinson Foundation Board of Directors, and the l=
eader=0Aof  the Parkinson=92s Alliance. I am also part of that magnificen=
t grassroots=0Aeffort which  saw enacted into law the Morris K. Udall Par=
kinson=92s Research=0Aand Education Act. I=92m here today to give testimo=
ny in support of fully=0Afunding this authorization at  $100  million.=0A=
=0AThis hourglass serves several functions: It will help me stay within m=
y=0Aallotted time, but it also is intended to convey to you that we who h=
ave=0AParkinson=92s are in a race against time Just as the top chamber is=
 depleted=0Arelentless grain after grain, so is my top chamber, my brain,=
 losing nerve=0Acells which control movement day by day. The Parkinson=92=
s Alliance, is not=0Aanother organization, rather it=92s  a loosely organ=
ized overlay of the current=0Aorganizations -  it is the voice of the peo=
ple affected by Parkinson=92s.  Those=0Apeople first want to thank this s=
ubcommittee for allowing this bill to be part=0Aof the 1998 Appropriation=
s bill. Obviously you appreciate the broad based=0Abipartisan support thi=
s bill has.  This was demonstrated by last years 95-3=0Aroll call vote in=
 the Senate amending it to the Appropriations Bill and the=0A254 cosponso=
rs in the House. The overwhelming majority neuroscientists agree=0Awe are=
 poised on the threshold of  curing this sinister disease.  This=0Ahourgl=
ass is an attention getter which  I hope distinguishes my testimony at=0A=
this busy hearing, the promise of a near term cure distinguishes Parkinso=
n=92s -=0Aand that is not a gimmick- its doable NOW!!!  As I speak, resea=
rchers from all=0Aover the world are assembling at a meeting (in Arizona)=
 to discuss that=0Apromise. Let us=0Aprovide them with the resources to m=
ake the promise a reality, find the cure,=0Aand then direct those  resour=
ces at other diseases. If we as a nation don=92t=0Afind a cure or new eff=
ective treatment for these age related diseases, when=0Athe baby boom age=
s its going to devastate any attempts we=92ve made to date to=0Abalance t=
he budget.=0A=0AThere are two other economic points which favor increased=
 funding for=0AParkinson=92s disease research :Current NIH research fundi=
ng as measured by=0Adollars per person afflicted is simply not equitable =
Parkinson=92s is estimated=0Ato cost society $25 billion that every year.=
 If this $100 million investment=0Ain Parkinson=92s research results in a=
 cure, for every dollar spent we will save=0A$250 I=92m here today to hel=
p give Parkinson=92s  a human face. Parkinson=92s=0Adisease a degenerativ=
e  disease of the brain. As a result my hands and legs=0Asometimes shake =
and my body is stiff.  I have witnessed this disease slowly=0Abut surely =
erode my physical abilities. I can no longer tie my tie, wash my=0Ahair o=
r tuck my shirt in.  I can=92t shuffle papers or drive my car. I have los=
t=0Amy facial expression, sense of smell and I now have a monotone voice.=
 But I=92m=0Awouldn=92t be here today if that was the extent of my proble=
ms. Unfortunately=0Athose are just previews of the horrors to come if we =
don=92t cure this sinister=0Adisease. What terrifies me is the real possi=
bility that I might end up as Mo=0AUdall bedridden unable to move or talk=
.I sometimes think I do not serve the=0AParkinson=92s cause well when I c=
ome to Washington for when my medications are=0Aworking I approach some f=
orm of normalcy.  Perhaps as I walk away from this=0Atable some may think=
 =93he dosen=92t look so bad to me=94.  But those medications=0Awithout w=
hich I would be unable to function lose their effectiveness with=0Atime. =
 The beginnings ofthat          lossisjusthappeningtome.I=92mfallingbehin=
d=0Ain my race against time.The image I want to leave you with the image =
of the=0Ahorror of Parkinson=92s. A woman from California wrote me to tel=
l of the death=0Aof her mother, a former Olympic athlete who had Parkinso=
n=92s. She described how=0Athis once athletic body had shriveled to 60 lb=
s and had assumed a constant=0Afetal position for the  last several years=
. That=92s the image of Parkinson=92s I=0Awant to leave you.  That and th=
e promise of a cure. Let me assure you that I=92m=0Anot going to sit back=
 and wait for my body to stop working.  I am determined=0Ato win this rac=
e but I need your help. Before closing I will turn this=0Ahourglass over.=
 The top chamber is replenished. Just as  the scientific=0Abreakthrough w=
hich cures Parkinson=92s will replenish my brain cells which=0Acontrol mo=
vement. DON=92T LET TIME RUN OUT for me and the 1 million Americans=0Awho=
 have Parkinson=92s. Not when the finish line is within sight=0A=0A