Secretary Tommy Thompson Secretary of
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 200 Independence Avenue, S.W. Washington, D.C. 20201
Dear Secretary Thompson,
My name is Beverly J. Doucette. I am a Patient Advocate for people who suffer
“Adhesion Related Disease. ” I am also the outreach director for the International Adhesion Society, where I assist others in educating, supporting and assisting ARD sufferers.
First I would like to take this opportunity to tell you how pleased I am that President Bush thought enough of you to bring on board. I hope that you will do for the country what you did for our state! I know how much I appreciated your diligence in serving people in the highest quality of service a public official can give..and you sure did that for Wisconsin!
I am asked to extend a greeting to you from Senator Mike Ellis and my sister, Kay Reetz!
I am asking for an appointment with you or your Health Issues Representative to discuss issues surrounding Adhesion Related Disease. There are a great number of ARD sufferers across America who desperately need your intervention.
I will be in Washington D.C. from April 25th – April 30th. I have medical appointments on Wednesday, April 25th, but will avail myself to you on any of the remaining days.
As I stated, I advocate for people who suffer a disease called “ Adhesion related Disease.” This disease is very painful and infringing on one’s life. The etiology of ARD is normally the result of surgical trauma, but it can also be caused by a variety of other things. I have enclosed information that I think will educate you to this very devastating disease.
I would like to ask that you focus your attention on the impact of ARD on our society today, not only in the medical community, but the cost involvement to insurance companies and to the ARD sufferers them selves. Also of concern to the International Adhesion society is the lack of effective and quality medical intervention available to post surgical adhesion sufferers in the United States today. These issues are among others I need to discuss.
I am involved in advocating for Adhesion Related Disease patients across the United States as well as in many other countries. I am acclimated to how the ARD patients are recognized in other countries verses those here in the United States of America. I have enclosed a small sample of how ARD is recognized in the Ukraine and in Germany. Unfortunately this information will show that this country lags far behind when recognizing or respecting ARD sufferers. You will be able to see how we have failed our own people when it comes to helping those in our own county who suffer ARD!
We need to make progress in this area! I am hoping that you will be instrumental in bringing awareness of this disease to the attention of the public, recognition of our plight as we fight for our lives trying to cope with ARD, and make every effort in researching ways to overcome this most insidious disease.
Secretary Thompson, I am bringing this issue to your attention as the International Adhesion Society will be putting out a press release to the media this year regarding Adhesion Related Disease. I am currently assisting on this project and am in communication with newspaper reporters throughout the country, as well as in a few other countries. Out of respect for you and your position, I did not want this issue to be an element of surprise to you, after all, we are both have Wisconsin ties.
Please confirm with me the possibility of meeting you or your aid regarding these issues. If a meeting is not possible, may I present written information for your study? Following my presentation a written communication from the Department of Health and Human Services would be appreciated. As ARD sufferers, we hope that action would be taken that would impact our lives here in the United States in a positive and progressive way.
Please know that it is my intention to do everything I can to get this disease recognized. I will not simply sit back and watch the unjust suffering of so many. Interestingly enough, Jenna Bush, one of the President Bush’s twin daughters had an emergency appendectomy last November...the incidence of getting ARD from a surgery like that is only about 97%!!
Thank-you for your time and consideration of my request. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Sincerely yours
________________________
Beverly J. Doucette
-- ________________________JEAN
"SMILE............It confuses people!"