Hannah Cleary
Ms. McKoy
English 2-2
11 September 2013
Stem
Cell Research
In 2011, my grandmother was hospitalized for ailments
induced by diabetes. She had a high fever and unexplained tingling in her legs.
She has had diabetes since she was a small girl and throughout her life she has
been checking her blood sugar and maintaining her life with insulin. Millions
of people experience loss of eyesight or extremities due to complications of
this disease. My grandmother and the millions of others like her do not need to
continue their battle with this debilitating disease. Embryonic stem cell
research should be funded because it can aid the discovery of cures for many
fatal diseases.
Controversy over using embryonic stem cells continues
after a decade of politically-infused debate. Some believe that the use of an embryo
is unethical because they consider it to be the destruction of human life.
However, I believe since the embryo does not have a heartbeat until it becomes
a fetus at eight weeks that this is not the destruction of life but the
possibility of saving one. According to the National Institutes of Health, “Stem
cells, directed to differentiate into specific cell types, offer the
possibility of a renewable source of replacement cells and tissues to treat
diseases including Alzheimer's diseases, spinal cord injury, stroke, burns, heart
disease, diabetes, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis.”(National
Institutes of Health).What this statement is saying is, stem cells have the
ability to replace damaged cells in the human body, no matter what part of the
body it is. With continued research millions of people, including my
grandmother, could enjoy a healthy and disease free lifestyle.
I want to research this issue further because I have the
risk of having diabetes. If America has the ability to research something that
could change and save millions of lives, why not participate and fund stem cell
research? While stem cell research can be seen as unethical to some people, I
see it as a medical advancement that can bring a brighter future for many
people. If we fund this research once again and bring politics out of the
question, we as America can discover something advance and bring millions of
lives to full heath once again.
Works
Cited
What are the
potential uses of human stem cells and the obstacles that must be overcome
before these potential uses will be realized? . In Stem Cell Information [World
Wide Web site]. Bethesda, MD: National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services, 2009 [cited Wednesday, September 11, 2013
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