Living Proof is a new website that showcases how medical research improves lives and offers hope. The first real-life story highlighted is that of Barbara Johnson, whose life changed for the better thanks to innovations in asthma therapy.
Johnson suffers from asthma and respiratory problems that made it impossible for her to engage in sports as a child. Now in her 70s, Johnson leads an active life thanks to advances in the treatment of asthma. She joined a rowing club in her hometown of Princeton, N.J., and began to row competitively when she was in her 50s.
The Living Proof is a national public awareness campaign sponsored by States United for Biomedical Research with funding from the National Institutes of Health. It is intended to build upon senior citizens “unique understanding of the history and importance of medical research in our lives,” according to the website.
"Senior citizens are living proof of the value of medical research,” according to Living Proof spokesperson Gale Davy. “Their lives are testaments to the pain and suffering so many have endured. But their experiences can also teach us how medicine has changed, offering health and hope to so many."
Seniors are invited to contact Living Proof to contribute their stories about how they have benefited from medical advancements by email to info@Living-Proof.us or by mail to Living Proof, P.O. Box 360, Milwaukee, WI 53201-0360. The website currently contains a few stories plus a promotional poster suitable for downloading.