#46~ HERO of the YEAR - charity & research

As we end~ this 1st decade of this new 
millennium I would like to Dedicate this

last blog to a Charitable Organization

that has been the Source of MUCH

HOPE and Research News during this 

last year.... They get my 

"HERO for 2009" Award.... the 

Whittemore Peterson Institute

located on the campus of the University
of Nevada at Reno. 

Within the last 4 years "from an idea 
to formation" to doing actual
*Ground Breaking Research* solely with 

Private donations and grants has been 

nothing short of a Miracle for "more than"
28 Million people Worldwide.. that 
suffer from neuro-immune diseases
and have been "be-littled" and told these
illnesses were "all in their head" 
for YEARS.

The WPI's discovery of the link between

ME/CFS and XMRV- the ONLY 3rd known 

Retrovirus to effect humans, has effects 

and ramifications that HAVE YET to be felt

and dealt with around the world. 

EVERY Countries' BLOOD SUPPLY needs 

to be "screened" for this, ASAP !!! just 
like they are for HIV, the last retrovirus 
discovered that also effected 
immune systems.

I watched the online webcast of the 

NIH- CFSAC meeting at the end of Oct

and cried with Joy and Validation along 

with 400 others from around the world 

as we bonded LIVE via Facebook...

We even, for those that could not 
view RealPlayer, had to do a sports-like
play by play report of what was taking 
place. We watched Dr. Peterson's 
Presentation and Annette Whittemore's
Testimony on behalf of the millions
of us that have suffered with it for 
over 20 years , not to forget the many

that have already passed away because

they could not take any longer the 

disgrace & stigma the CDC has labeled

us with and the financial & emotional

ruin this has caused many families...

Dr Bell's testimonies of what families

that had young children with this and 

their families went they as they could 

NOT Dr's to validate their illness and 

thus cause the families to resort to be

submitted to the Family Social Service 

System and go to Court to be able to 

even KEEP their own children, was just

literally appalling...and took some

families UP to 10 YEARS to settle

these cases... THIS HAS to STOP NOW !

In the USA this is a Total disgrace.

I am chosing this time also to write 

this particular blog topic, in memory of 

my stepdad that at the end of the year

always wrote out all of his donations to

charities that he wanted to donate to that 

year..so it could be listed as a 

"charitable deduction" on his taxes before 

the end of the calendar year.. 

I would like to Remind those of you in 

the USA that the WPI "is" a 501c3

and qualifies for such deductions..

If you ONLY give to one charity this year

I BEG YOU Please Give to WPI....

I will share with you Now the letter from
Annette Whittemore as this year ends..
and then I will give you info about where
you can send in your charitable donation
to a Place that has already done SO MUCH 
for the Spirits and Hopes of SO Many ♥

Bless Dr Peterson for all of his YEARS
of help and support and persistence
to help find a cure for ME/CFS folks..


Bless Mr. & Mrs. Whittemore for chosing
to "back him" and help FORM "WPI."
and deal with all of the legalities to 
form the 501c3.



Bless Dr Judy Mikovits for coming to 
work for WPI and dedicating her life
and energies to research to help us.

*******

Letter from Annette Whittemore

December 19, 2009

Dear Friends,

On behalf of all of us at the Whittemore 
Institute, I hope this holiday season finds 
well. While 2009 has been challenging for 
so many of us, this year saw unprecedented 
progress at WPI: progress that would not 
have been possible without you.

The unquestioned highlight is our joint 

discovery of a retrovirus, XMRV, in 

patients with chronic ME/CFS. 

Through collaboration with the National 

Cancer Institute and the Clinic, 

Dr. Judy Mikovits and her research 

colleagues were able to discover this 

retroviral link. Our findings were 

published in Science, one of the world’s 

leading journals. This groundbreaking 

research has been reported around the 

world. You may have seen our coverage 

in the New York Times or The Wall Street 

Journal, or seen or heard it on 

Good Morning America or 

National Public Radio.

This discovery will lead to diagnostic 

tools using reliable biomarkers of disease,

and is a major step toward identifying 

drug therapies, and potentially a vaccine.

Laboratory testing for XMRV has already

been made available to patients. 

We have been overwhelmed with words

of support and encouragement from 

patients around the world who have a 

new hope, and a very real validation 

of their suffering:

“I had the honor and excitement of 

watching the live broadcast of the NIH 

presentation of your research... I quietly 

cheered as Mrs. Whittemore gave her 

speech about the sufferings of those of 

us with ME/CFS. Thank you so much for 

your bravery and persistence in fighting 

this disease.”
Kristi H.

“I do not have words to thank you for 

the work you have done. It has now 

been 30 years since I fell ill and I truly 

never thought I would see the day 

this terrible knot was untied.”
Christina M.

This discovery has brought worldwide 
attention to WPI, and to the University 
of Nevada School of Medicine, our home. 

Next summer we will be moving into 

the new Center for Molecular Medicine: 

a move that will expand our research 

capacity as well as opportunities to 

collaborate with other great researchers 

and institutions. You can see the new 
building taking shape on the Nevada 
campus right here in Reno.

Our 5th annual "I Hope You Dance" 
fundraiser was a great success, and 
guests heard a moving preview of the
XMRV discovery from one of our friends 
and scientific advisors, Dr. Carl Ware of 
the La Jolla Institute of Allergy and 
Immunology. That we have partners the 

caliber of Dr. Ware is a testament to the 

high quality of the work at WPI. 

That we have reached this level of respect
in such a short time is a testament to the
generosity of people like you.

There are millions of Americans suffering 

from ME/CFS, a debilitating acquired disease 

that often leaves its sufferers too ill to 

leave home; alone and without a source 

of income or health insurance they begin 

to lose hope that a better day will come. 

Countless others around the world suffer 

from diseases such as MS, autism and 

fibromyalgia without treatments for the 

underlying causes of their disease. 

Our research is literally changing the field 

and expanding the network of researchers 

and clinicians who want to help further this work.

Although we have accomplished much 

this past year it is only the beginning of 

our quest for answers to neuro-immune 

diseases such as ME/CFS, autism, MS, 

fibromyalgia and others that affect both 

the brain and the immune system.

The word is out about WPI and we have 
the focus of hope for so many patients who 
have longed for the proper diagnosis and 
care of their conditions.

“Thank you from a grateful CFS patient. 
I am a single Mom who has suffered from 
CFS for 18 years. It has left me frequently 
bedridden, unable to work and dependent on 
Social Security for most of this time. 
My children, family, and I have hoped and 
prayed for such a find for all of these years.”
Ann S.

Now, you can join me in this vital 

groundbreaking work which is being done 

right here in Northern Nevada. 

Doctors and patients, the world over, are 

watching and waiting. We are thankful to 

friends like you to help make this vision come

true for the countless patients who suffer.

Thank you for thinking of us as we end a truly
productive and thrilling year. I wish you and 
yours peace, health and happiness today, 
and as we look to the year ahead.

Sincerely,
Annette Whittemore
Founder and President 
***************************

PLEASE Share this article with any of

your friends that have a neuro-immune

illness and any of your friends that

still need to make their year end 

charitable donations made in time..OK?

Simply click on the WPI link and 
it will take you to their website
and the page on which you may
Donate via Paypal and it also has
their address in case you wish to 
write a check and mail it to them..
This will also give you a chance to 
check out their website and read
about all of the research they 
are working on..

WPI-Donate

Since the WPI has brought the 
"feeling of the Sun" back into many 
of our Lives.. I dedicate this song to 
them  to represent this coming year...

Bless you ALL and may we ALL have 

a Happy Healthier next Decade !!!