Harvey's Back

INTRO by Adrienne

Some of you here are old enough to remember the movie Harvey (the one with the invisible rabbit), it starred Jimmy Stewart.  It was made back in 1950, but replayed countless times.  Well, Jimmy is no longer with us, and Harvey has finally run out of royalties the movie has earned him and has taken a very unusual job for a rabbit.  He has taken a job as a spokesperson for the Parkinson’s Action Network.  There is only one problem, however, he’s still an invisible rabbit that only certain special kinds of people can see or hear.  Luckily, he found one right here among us, my assistant, Jim.  So here, making yet another public appearance together are Jim and Harvey the Invisible Rabbit talking about PAN.

 (Jim begins)

(To Harvey) Harvey, this is a special group of people, they are the _______________, but you have them at a disadvantage—they don’t know what you are.  May I tell them?   

(To the audience) Harvey is a pooka—a Celtic fairy, given to various acts of mischief and to taking form as a larger than life animal—in this case a six foot, three and a half inch rabbit.  I know some pookas speak to all humans, but Harvey is not always audible or visible to all humans—just to drunkards, crackpots and the like.  So, if you’re able to see him just now, you want to keep that under your hat.  On the other hand, this would be a big step for him, talking to all sorts of people—if he wasn’t so determined to use me for a mouthpiece. 

(To Harvey) So, Harvey, you are back again as a spokesperson for PAN, but some of these folks have not heard from you before, what’s PAN?

(to all)  Oh, the Parkinson’s Action Network, the voice of the Parkinson’s community on Capitol Hill and lots of other places.

(to Harvey) What’s that Harvey?  This is your favorite kind of audience—they’re PIPS.  I get it.  (to all) People interested in Parkinson’s. 

(to Harvey)  Tell the folks about me and PD?  Sure. 

(To all) I was diagnosed in 2009, and started taking the usual assortment of drugs to control the symptoms.  I decided also to work on what my neurologist said was his number one recommendation—get an hour of exercise every day.  So I started working on my overall physical health, things like--getting enough sleep, developing better eating and drinking habits (these are still a work in progress) and getting in the habit of exercising an hour a day.  I took up yoga, pilates and I even Tai Chi.  So, I have really worked on myself, and I feel lots better.  This approach allowed me to keep working for three more years, but I had to stop in the summer of 2012.  So, now you know my story.

But we all have questions about Parkinson’s, Harvey.  Maybe you can answer them.

(To Harvey) What questions? 

1.  Well, for one thing, how quickly will this progress?

(To Harvey) No one knows?

(To all) Oh, Harvey wants you to know research is going to tell us. 

2.  Well, do we at least know how to slow it down? 

(To Harvey) We don’t? 

(To All) Harvey says researchers are getting closer to finding some effective therapies to slow it down. 

3.  I have a trembling hand and leg and occasional loss of balance.  What else can I expect, Harvey?  (pause) 

(To Harvey) You don’t know…(listens) 

(To all) But researchers are cataloging Parkinson’s effects. 

4.  Well, what about the cause of those effects?  What causes Parkinson’s? (listens)

(To Harvey) We don’t know, huh?  (listens)

(To All) Ah, but researchers are working on it.

5.  What about a cure? 

(To Harvey) A long way to go, you say? 

(To All)  Oh, more research is needed.

(To Harvey) Wow, with all this need for research, things must really be clipping along in that arena. (listens) They’re not?!?? 

Is this Parkinson’s Action Network working on it?  (pause)

(To Harvey) So how is PAN working on the problem today? 

Three ways, you say?  What’s the first one?

Protecting and maybe increasing government research funding and expedited drug approval.  Harvey, what does this funding need to be protected from?  See kweh what?  SEQUESTRATION.  Harvey, you must be the only rabbit on the planet who knows that word.  What does it mean?  Oh, across-the-board cuts in government spending, without regard to the importance of that spending.  Is Congress doing this on purpose?  It sounds like they are just not willing to think about which things are the most important.  Oh, they never meant for it to really happen?  But they couldn’t agree on what cuts to make.  Sounds like the Congress we know and love—yeah, the one we elected.  But what happens to Parkinson’s funding? 
A cut of $1.6B from National Institutes of Health and $209M from the Food and Drug Administration.  Why is that so important, don’t the drug companies do that work?  No?  NIH does more basic research than anyone else in the world?  The drug companies don’t get started until there’s a product.  Wow, I’d better be writing my Congressman, and my Senators, too.

But Harvey, why is the FDA funding important?  Oh, without additional monies, promising products will be held up in the approval process as fewer people are around to approve new drug therapies.  I really do need to write my Congressmen.  What about PAN’s other two priorities? 

Making permanent the elimination of caps on physical therapy under Medicare?  How does that work?  (To audience) Oh, Congress enacted caps on physical, occupational and speech therapies back in 1997, but never put them into effect until 2006.  When people objected, they created an exception process, but it has to be renewed each year.   PAN wants to get rid of these caps once and for all.  What’s that Harvey?  We can’t count on Congress to agree on anything year after year?  I agree, except for not applying rules like this one to themselves.  Is there a deadline for reapproval?  By December 31^st.  We’d better tell them to get to work.  Where’s my pen?  That’s another letter. 

What’s the third priority for PAN, Harvey?  Growing the Congressional Caucus on Parkinson’s.  What’s that?  (to the audience) It’s a forum for both senate and house members to increase awareness and keep informed on the latest developments in Parkinson’s issues and research developments.  Harvey, how many members are there now?  A hundred and seventy-two?   Out of how many?  Five hundred thirty five.  We can do better than that.  How many of ours are members (Graham, Scott and Sanford?)  None.  I think I feel another letter coming!  Wait, wait.  You have?  Great.  That will save some work.  Harvey says he has brought several letters you can use to let your representatives know how you feel.  We’ll pass them out now.  All you need to do is write in your name, address and phone number and sign.  Harvey will take care of the rest.

What’s that Harvey?  (To All) He says “please,” and “thanks for your attention.”