Dear CMF Friends:
I am writing to request your support for a vital project in which the Christus Medicus Foundation (CMF) is deeply involved. Since the 2006 elections, CMF has aggressively and pro-actively engaged the promoters of death in the healthcare industry by educating religious leaders, healthcare professionals and the American public on the immediate need for State Children Health Program (SCHIP) policy reform.
This reform will stop abortion funding, protect our children and parents right to know, as well as ensure the right for parents to select a health plan for their children that is consistent with family values.
In order to reform SCHIP and leave a legacy of faithfulness to our children,
I need your prayers and financial help. I need to raise $60,000 immediately to pay for May and June expenses and the expenses we will incur over the next three months to finish our fight to reform SCHIP.
A generous donor has promised a matching grant for every dollar that I raise up to $30,000 between now and July 15. Please be as generous as you can. Our budget to complete this project consists of $10,000 for travel expenses, $5,000 for radio production, $5,000 for promotion, $5,000 for conferences and education, and $35,000 for wages and other employee expenses.
In my April newsletter, I urged you to support CMF's Declaration 2007 to Reform SCHIP. The response was excellent and helped garner the attention of our leaders.
Many people, including our religious leaders and legislators, were not aware that abortion, contraception, sterilization and fertility services were covered in SCHIP and without parental consent. Please visit
www.christusmedicus.com and log on to Declarations 2000 and 2007 to see the support for SCHIP Reform.
CMF, along with David Wilson and I, also put together a talk show with Michigan Catholic Radio "Healthcare and Life". To date, we have produced 20 talk shows, interviewing some of the top leaders on healthcare reform about issues threatening parental rights, conscience and family values in health plans. These shows provide tangible ways to protect our freedom. To listen, please visit
www.christusmedicus.com and log on to "
Healthcare & Life" Michigan Catholic Radio (1090AM WCAR)
David Wilson & Michael O'Dea Interview Grace-Marie Turner President, Galen Institute.
In addition, CMF worked with the Society for Educating Physicians and Patients and the Catholic Medical Association to organize a conference entitled "
Economic and Religious Freedom in Health Care." The conference was held at Duquesne University on May 19 and included the following speakers:
"Healthcare and the Faith Community" - Kay James, President of the Gloucester
Foundation and Former Director of the Office and Personnel Management under President Bush. Kay was responsible for the first ever faith-based health plan for federal employees. OPM is the largest employer in the world.
"Putting Patients and Families First" - Grace Marie Turner, President of the Galen Institute. Grace Marie is a key national leader and spokesperson for a free market in health care and healthcare advisor to the Bush Administration.
"Freedom of Conscience in Healthcare" - Nikolas Nikas, President of the Bioethics Defense Fund, whose mission is to provide innovative and practical solutions that address the human rights violations involved in human cloning and embryo research, abortion, and euthanasia and assisted suicide.
"A Journey to Values - Centered Health Plans" - Michael O'Dea, Christus Medicus Foundation.
This conference was a model for future conferences nationwide. To listen to the speakers, please visit
www.christusmedicus.com. The conclusions from this conference, along with my visits with religious, pro-life/pro-family leaders and policymakers - in Pennsylvania, St. Louis, Kansas City, Indianapolis and Washington DC - confirm that
SCHIP is our #1 concern in healthcare reform. What is decided in SCHIP will be the platform on which a national health plan will be established. We cannot have a free market if we don't have freedom of conscience. We must protect unborn children against state-subsidized abortion, as well as preserve parental rights over children's healthcare and conscience protection for individuals and health plan providers. Does anyone see what I see?
If we don't stand up and demand our economic freedom by supporting SCHIP Reform, Congress will take advantage of the SCHIP reauthorization process to legislate away our freedom.
Once again, I need your prayers and your financial support.
For freedom's sake and our children's sake, please take this moment and write a check for whatever amount you can afford. Remember every dollar you give, will be matched up to $30,000. I have received donations in the past ranging from $10 up to $10,000. Every dollar helps. Be as generous as you
have in the past. For those of you, who are new donors, could you please send a check today in the enclosed envelope payable to Christus Medicus? In the past two months, we have added 200 to our mailing list. If each of you gave $100, we would be two thirds of the way toward reaching our goal of $60,000. If you can give more, please do to make up for those who cannot afford to do so.
Thank you for your support. Christus Medicus is dependent on your generosity and the graces we receive from God. God Bless you all.
Very sincerely,
Michael J. O'Dea
Executive Director
P.S. Please send your tax deductible contribution to CMF today! Our work is dependent on your generosity.
