Ronald Reagan

“ Head and spinal cord injuries paralyze 10,000 Americans a year and many must use a wheelchair for the rest of their lives. The estimated total cost in dollars to society of these injuries exceeds $2 billion annually. An additional tragic toll is exacted in diminished personal happiness and productivity. The devastation of spinal cord injury is compounded by the youth of those it strikes: Two-thirds are 20 years of age or younger. ”

“ The goals of the Nation's Comprehensive Research Program on Acute Spinal Cord Injury and Paraplegia are to improve outcome and restore lost function. Today's promising experiments suggest that the riddle of regeneration may one day be solved. ”

“ Medicine has advanced to the point that a 15-year-old suffering a severe spinal cord injury has a nearly normal life expectancy, but during the remaining years, these people may experience injury-related health difficulties and incur heavy medical expenses. ”