Americans for Cures Foundation Announces "Big Give" Star to Speak at Stem Cell Advocacy Conference.

PALO ALTO, Calif. -- Americans for Cures Foundation is proud to announce that Carlana Stone, a star of Oprah Winfrey's "Big Give," will be speaking at its first State of Stem Cell Advocacy (SOSCA) Conference on April 12-13 at the UCSF Mission Bay Conference Center in San Francisco.

"Stem cell research will impact millions of lives," Stone said. "I'm committed to doing all I can to make this promise a reality."

Following a car accident at age 17, Stone went from cheerleader and gymnast to paraplegic. She has since built a career as a television producer, news reporter, author, international public speaker, and leading advocate for stem cell research.

"The possibilities are limitless," said Stone, who has challenged stereotypes of the wheel-chair bound by becoming a certified SCUBA diver, skydiver, sailor, downhill skier, pilot of a single-engine aircraft - as well as the first paraplegic contestant on a reality television show.

Over 100 million Americans suffer from chronic diseases or conditions that could benefit from stem cell research. Americans for Cures Foundation (www.AmericansforCures.org), a non-profit whose mission is to fight for stem cell research across the country, is hosting the conference.

"One of SOSCA's goals is to celebrate and further empower advocates who have been the driving force behind gains in stem cell research," said Constance McKee, co-executive director of Americans for Cures.

Over the course of its two days, SOSCA will provide educational panels on the science of stem cells, the future of clinical trials, and how to communicate with the media.

Other SOSCA speakers are Brock Reeve, brother of actor Christopher Reeve and director of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, and Robert Klein, leader of 2004's Proposition 71 campaign, which passed with 59% of the vote in California and created the $3 Billion California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, where he now serves as chair of the Independent Citizens Oversight Committee.

Originally scheduled to speak in person, actor Michael J. Fox, founder of the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, will be addressing conference participants by video.

Stem cell research has been lauded for its potential to provide new therapies and cures for a host of conditions, but it has also come under attack from groups who oppose stem cell research. McKee says it is a struggle, but a necessary one.

"This is not an abstract question of ideology versus science, it's a question of fixing spinal cord injury so that a veteran can walk again, or saving the life of a child who was born with Cystic Fibrosis," McKee said. "And though we've had some great success in California, throughout the country the research is under attack. SOSCA is about never giving up this fight. Carlana, one our great voices and activists, is key to that effort."

Stone was chosen to participate on Winfrey's "Big Give," a reality show that airs on Sunday nights on ABC. The show challenges contestants to creatively give away money to good causes and individuals who need help. Stone does not just give to good causes, she recently created a good cause in "The Courage Community," a non-profit organization addressing the needs of returning veterans.