A special letter
By Janine Furillo - November 1, 2004
I have this friend that I find absolutely remarkable. Yes, he's unbelievably handsome, sweet, and intelligent. Yes, he's the kind of guy that every girl wants to some day end up with after her search for love is over. He really is all that and much more.
His name is Frankie LaMacchia and he's Mr. Outgoing. If you're in the city of Philadelphia out having a good time on the weekend just look around you'll find him. He's always out having a good time and getting tons of attention. Frankie's really the guy that everyone has their eyes on. Trust me, he's hard to miss.
There's just one thing that makes him a little different than most people. He can't walk. He's had the terrible misfortune of being involved in an awful motorcycle accident that left him paralyzed and changed his life forever. But, don't you dare call him a victim, he's anything but that.
Frankie has given courage a new meaning. I've known him quite sometime now, and I have never seen him in a bad mood. He's constantly upbeat and optimistic about his future. When the majority would have given up, he continues to fight for his cause and a second chance at life, as he once knew it. At a life he deserves to have back.
Stem Cell research is imperative for my friend, Frankie. You're allowed to have your opinions that's why we live in a free America. You're allowed to express them, no matter how ridiculous they may seem.
Controversy surrounds Stem Cell research. Some people think it's just not ethical, that life is planned out and what happens to you is your fate. I highly disagree. I do believe that things happen for a reason. We may never get the answers that we need, but this question seems like a no-brainer. If we could help people walk again, find a cure, then why wouldn't we want to help?
Your legs get you out of bed in the morning, they walk you all around town. They dance to the beat, run a chosen path, play sports, steal home plate during your baseball game, walk you down the aisle, they simply move you making life go round and round.
Imagine for just one second that you couldn't feel your legs and you couldn't get up and go as you please. We can't do it, because we can't even fathom the thought. We take natural things for granted. Frankie doesn't. He knows the value of his legs and his nerve endings. More importantly, he knows that some battles are worth fighting.
When Christopher Reeve died, thousands of people living paralyzed or suffering from diseases may have lost a little hope for Stem Cell Research. They may have felt a little despair in their hearts.
It's almost unbelievable that Christopher Reeve couldn't find a cure. Celebrities have the money and the power to use their voices, and still we haven't been able get to the finish line.
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We have a huge job to do. Humanity has to come together and make all of our voices as loud as we can. We must be heard. If you still don't agree with Stem Cell Research that's fine, I just hope and pray you're never in need of a cure.
You probably couldn't handle life like Frankie and so many others. You have to hold hope in your heart and be passionate about living life to the fullest no matter your circumstances.
If you can begrudge someone of their natural born right to walk or feel again, than you simply aren't passionate about life like you should be. That's my opinion, but I'm allowed to voice it because I am a free American.
Frankie LaMacchia is a living breathing example of what we should all strive to be like. Everyone should meet him, because whenever people do, they walk away with a smile. They walk away feeling every nerve in their legs, feeling their feet touch the ground beneath of them.
You can walk, run, skip, or jump your way to the finish line for Stem Cell Research. You can sit and do nothing. I just hope that you don't try to put an end to it. There are moral and ethical ways to carry on the research and reach cures.
Superman may not have had the supernatural powers to walk again, but he made a super impact for so many people's futures. You don't need to be a celebrity you just need to be heard.
Frankie's voice is loud and proud. Life goes on and we soon forget about other people's disabilities, especially when those people aren't even complaining about their own misfortunes. I pray we don't mistake their silence for contentment. I pray we raise money and make real life differences.
Frankie LaMacchia can't feel the lower half of his body. He is the face of Stem Cell Research. He has not given up and continues to inspire everyone around him. I hope we learn to inspire him as well.
What he can't feel physically, fills up his heart and makes it that much bigger. You will meet him and you will walk away feeling blessed. Not because you can walk, but because you had the opportunity to meet a real life hero fighting a real life battle to the end.
Lets come together and realize our potential, let's realize a cure so nobody else has to fight this war feeling all alone. We can get on our feet and stand up for him and his cause, but nobody will be making a stand as tall and proud as Frankie LaMacchia.
