Ryan Dinkgrave, Royal Oak, MI

I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when I was 10 years old and in fifth grade. It is difficult now for me to remember many details of my life before diabetes.

JulieLyn Gibbons, Lansing, MI

My life took a gut-wrenching turn when I was 14 and diagnosed with Crohn's Disease, a little-understood illness that destroys the gastrointestinal system. There's no cure for it. The only treatment available to me is a regimen of regular surgeries and the steady removal of pieces of me.

Chip and Betsy Erwin, Bloomfield Hills, MI

Our son Jed left for college this fall. An ordinary achievement for many kids, but extraordinary for Jed… because Jed has muscular dystrophy. Just a generation ago, children with Duchenes Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) didn’t live long enough to consider college.

Ellen Craine-Rostker, West Bloomfield, MI

My stem cell story began about six years ago…when my husband had a heart attack July 5, 2002 and underwent open-heart surgery that September at the age of 44. We already had one son, but after the heart attack, I decided that I wanted “another piece” of my husband just in case something happened to him.

Katie & Ellie Clark, Grandville, MI

"She's just like her mother." For most, that is music to the ears. But for me…it was the one thing I never wanted to hear about my child. But my worst nightmare became a reality on August 30, 2004 … "There is glucose in her urine." I knew… the doctor's words meant our oldest daughter had Type 1 diabetes. Just like me.

Carson Booker, Reed City, MI

Four-year-old Carson Booker has spent much of his short life battling a multitude of life-threatening illnesses, the most recent of which is hydrocephalus. Carson's mother, Tera, had to stop working to accommodate trips to doctors, therapy and the care Carson requires.

Kelly Cooper's Story by her father Richard Cooper, Grand Ledge, MI

Kelly was born in 1967 and we knew almost immediately that there was “something wrong” with her. She was born with cataracts and had both lenses removed by the time she was a year old. Over the next few years she had other physical problems -- scoliosis, mild retardation and an uneven gait... We called in a specialist…who diagnosed Kelly with a genetic disease called Leukodystrophy.

Nicolle & Gabe Reslock, Grand Ledge, MI

I asked my 9-year-old son Gabe to write about his favorite part of the Children's Congress we recently attended in Washington, D.C. to advocate for increased funding of juvenile diabetes research… There were so many things to choose from.

Stewart VanAlstine, Charlotte, MI

In 1993, I broke my neck while monkeying around in a push and shove game with co-workers in the construction industry…My neck was broken at the C4-C5 level, leaving me paralyzed from the chest down. I have no use of my hands; I have to wear wrist splits to keep my wrists straight. I am confined to my wheelchair. The hardest part of my injury is not being able to do the activities I used to…

David Berkimer, Nashville, MI

David Berkimer will never get used to the idea he may lose his eyesight, his kidneys or the circulation in his body. “I've been living with diabetes for 30 years,” said 47-year-old Berkimer. “People say you should get used to it, but you don't get used to it.” Berkimer was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when he was 16. ..Complications from the disease can include heart disease, blindness, nerve damage and kidney damage.

Danny Heumann, Ann Arbor, MI

My future was forever changed Aug. 13, 1985, when I was an 18-year-old summer camp counselor in upstate New York. I was a backseat passenger in a car... The driver … lost control. He was killed and the two other passengers walked out without a scratch. ..I was diagnosed as a T-6 paraplegic, with no movement or sensation from the chest down.

Douglas and Marlene Laing, MI

When Doug Laing couldn't lift his arm to lead the church chorus he directed, he knew something was wrong. “I had weakness in my right arm and was unable to lift it high enough to direct the choir,” he said, recalling that day 20 years ago. A physician diagnosed Doug with a rare, untreatable form of muscular dystrophy called Limb-Girdle, which affects voluntary muscles. Over a period of years those affected lose muscle bulk and strength. …Marlene and Doug believe embryonic stem cell research may hold a key to reversing his disability.

Lee Noll, CEO and President, BioFlow Technology, Inc., Whitmore Lake, MI

NOTE: While improving lives is the most important reason to support stem cell research, the life-science business sector is a growth industry and conducting this research in Michigan could help to improve the state’s economy. Here is the story of one company:
BioFlow Technology, Inc. in Whitmore Lake manufactures and markets a bioreactor system capable of supporting the long-term culture of stem cells and maintaining their “stemness” for well over a year. The system can be used to culture both adult-sourced and embryonic-derived stem cells and their progeny. Researchers worldwide want to use BioFlow Technology products to enhance the relevance of their research work to human health issues.

Kathleen Russell, Ann Arbor, MI

My clock has tremors. I was 39 years old when I was diagnosed with young onset Parkinson's Disease. Nine years the clock has been ticking. Nine years since the 1st stage of a 5-stage disease. Nine years since the words "young onset Parkinson's Disease" pounded my core…I who lettered in field hockey, basketball, softball. I who pedaled the Colorado Hardscrabble 100 mile bicycle ride. I who climbed back to back 14,000 foot mountains in a weekend. I who can barely button a shirt or tie a shoe. I who now say "Velcro is my friend."

Laura Jackson, Livonia, MI

I learned a life lesson three years ago at age 14. I will never forget. After waking up in the hospital and not being able to move or breathe, I knew my life might never be the same. Laying in my hospital bed, the doctors came in and told me I was paralyzed from my neck down and would never be able to move or breathe on my own again.

Cathy Coury Family, Caledonia, MI

We are the Coury family. We are an average West Michigan family including mother, father, three boys and a dog. We never dreamed we would be the parents of two diabetic children, but now it is hard to remember life before insulin pumps, blood testing, shots, and carbohydrate counting.

Charna's Story, Flint, MI

Charna was 3 years old at the time she sustained a severe spinal cord injury that has left her paralyzed in her lower extremities. In the 4 1/2 years since her accident, my family's life, with our now 8-year-old daughter has been both rewarding and difficult. We are thankful she has regained some partial ability to move...I carry the hope and faith that she will walk again.