ROAD TO THE CURE UPDATE DECEMBER 2015

When Jo Rosen, the President and CEO of Parkinson’s Resource Organization (PRO),  told me this month marks her 25th year with PRO, I wanted to take an opportunity to step back from the routine, non-stop endeavor to make the next big leap forward to develop disease altering therapies for Parkinson’s and other neurodegenerative diseases. I met Jo Rosen I believe in November of 2011. Since then Jo has always come across as a fierce and undaunted leader with tremendous tenacity, passion and resolve to find and/or develop a cure for Parkinson’s disease, no matter at what cost even at the cost of her own health.

I like to equate her to a good saint whose life is similar to the life of a “TREE” that gives fruit and shade for the benefit of others and even when cut down, its timbers is used for building homes and furniture carrying out its legacy forever. Providing countless hours of information to new and old Parkinson’s patients by phone from her office, hosting Parkinson’s Support Group Meetings all over Los Angeles, West Los Angeles, Newport Beach, Manhattan Beach, Long Beach, Temecula, Palm Springs, etc., are some of the examples of noble deeds Jo has been engaging in for many years to help provide the best information to patients and their loved ones for them to assist in making the best possible medical decision.

Recently, I and some of my team members got the opportunity to attend some of PRO’s Support Group Meetings where Jo had invited speakers such as neurologists, therapists, caregivers and dentists to speak to the patients with an objective to provide the latest medical & therapeutic information out there that can provide Parkinson’s patients and families some relief from the debilitation of Parkinson’s disease. What was most touching to me was that in spite of very poor donations not enough to even cover the trip gasoline expenses, Jo’s remained resolute with her unwavering commitment to provide information patients and families needed. 

It was like losing wealth and comfort for the satisfaction of helping her constituents. The reality, however, is that even non-profit Organizations need funds to pay operational cost and the staff working in these Organizations - funds for living expenses. It is time now that the individuals and the families for whom Jo has been working for the last many years rally behind her to give her the financial and emotional support she needs while Jo is fighting her own battle against colon cancer. Some of you may be naively complaining that Jo has not delivered the Parkinson’s cure which for 2-3 years she raised the funds. Please remember that foundations such as the MJFF, government organizations namely NIH and all big pharma all over the world have not delivered a cure even after spending hundreds of billions of dollars over several decades. ICBI has not yet spent one millionth of what others have spent. However, with your continued support, ICBI could be in clinical trials within 18-21 months.