I have followed the work of Retina Foundation for years now, at one point accumulating binders of articles on potential cures that I printed off of online publications.
Until they got a Facebook presence which keeps followers very well updated. I never miss an update. With this latest one hitting my newsfeed, I feel particularly grateful to these unrelenting soldiers of research especially because the world knows little about their work.
They work to someday bring light to a darkened world, literally. Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) is a rare genetic condition that progressively leads to total blindness. It has a very low profile because the % of those affected isn't that large.
I remember the Ice Bucket challenge that catapulted Lou Gehrig's disease into global limelight, providing much needed funds for research into a little-known disease. I wish every silent soldier in unknown battles had their ice bucket moment.
The latest gains made in RP are in gene therapy, a controversial area that also presents a lot of hope, reminding me that no cures come without controversy. An incident is recorded about the Pharisees plotting to kill Jesus for healing a man on a Sabbath.
Our present-day attempts to alleviate human suffering are equally rife with attacks from pharisaic authorities that benefit from the status quo. But we're grateful for those who dare to carry out "Sabbath healings" that involve confrontation with established powers.
We're grateful to those who choose to see the suffering of a minority as deserving of the greatest fight and inclusion into a world they're often locked out of.
We're grateful to those who refuse to say of a situation, "there is no cure", and instead march on through countless days, months, years... fueled by hope.
We're grateful to those who never see failure as a setback but as a block to build upon; and to those who keep funding struggles without counting the stumbles.
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