http://www.usnewswire.com/topnews/Current_Releases/1010-115.html

10 Oct 11:16
U.S. Newswire

WASHINGTON, Oct. 10 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson today announced $2 million in federal funding for the creation of a new central resource for people living with paralysis, their families and their caregivers. The Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Resource Center (PRC) will be the most comprehensive and accessible resource available to people living with paralysis and will be dedicated to improving their quality of life.

Secretary Thompson presented the $2 million check to actor, director and activist Christopher Reeve at a news conference on Capitol Hill.

The PRC facility, to be housed in Short Hills, N.J., will provide a staff of specialists who will coordinate a comprehensive library, Web site, educational materials, referral services, and self-help information. The first phase of the multimillion-dollar PRC initiative will be the launch of a national interactive survey. The survey will be conducted on the Internet and by mail. The survey is posted on a new Web site, http://www.paralysis.org, and is part of the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation (CRPF) Web site.

"One of the most disabling aspects of paralysis is the lack of resources and support necessary to get back into a world that has completely changed for the paralyzed individual -- both economically and socially," said Christopher Reeve, chairman of CRPF. "When somebody is first injured or as a disease progresses into paralysis, people don't know where to turn. We will provide that support and information to people."

Members of Congress instrumental in securing the federal funding for the PRC also attended today's announcement including Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), Rep. Bill Young (R-Fla.) and Rep. Jim Langevin (D-R.I.). The Senators are the Chairman and Ranking Member respectively of the Senate Labor-HHS Appropriations Subcommittee. Rep. Langevin is the only spinal cord injured Member of Congress and Rep. Young is Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee.

"This grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will allow individuals living with paralysis to have more control over their lives through the Paralysis Resource Center," said Mitchell R. Stoller, president and CEO of CRPF. "It will help individuals, their families and caregivers learn about healthy living, how to find employment, and how to participate in their communities. We're grateful that the CDC has chosen to partner with the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation on this important project."

The Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation (CRPF) is a national non-profit organization that encourages and supports research to develop effective treatments and a cure for paralysis caused by spinal cord injury and other central nervous system disorders. The Foundation also allocates a portion of its resources to grants that improve the quality of life for people with disabilities. The Paralysis Resource Center will be a new project of CRPF.

Members of the Paralysis Task Force:

• ALS Association
• American Association of People with Disabilities
• American Stroke Association
• National Council on Independent Living
• National Family Caregivers Association
• The National Multiple Sclerosis Society
• Paralyzed Veterans of America
• Spina Bifida Association of America
• United Cerebral Palsy