Among the vast array of news items that I’ve come across this year, two stories clearly communicate a few of the many challenges that CBC faces every day.

A Romanian girl desperately in need of money for food and rent donates her eggs repeatedly. She nearly lost her life and now suffers permanent infertility due to scarring of her ovaries. Stories like hers are numerous, which is why I spoke at the European Parliament on egg trafficking last May. But even more alarming to me is the fact that the egg market is not only found in Eastern Europe. Many college girls here in the States desperate for cash are doing the same thing while unknowingly putting their health at risk.

The other story is about a Dutch sailor who after contracting a terminal disease is pressured into euthanasia by his family. Witnesses report that on the day his life is taken, his expressed desire to keep living is ignored. Euthanasia is not going away-in 2006 we launched our 6000 Souls Campaign to address this lethal concern.

These stories serve to highlight CBC’s mission to shed light on the bioethics issues within our culture that most profoundly affect our humanity ﾖ especially among the most vulnerable, like those mentioned above. I am increasingly aware that to accomplish this we need to foster and develop a human-affirming conscience ﾖ a conscience that will ethically ground biotechnology and celebrate the complexity of human life at all of its various stages.

And how do we give biotechnology a human-affirming conscience? How can we protect those among us who are most vulnerable? We engage these issues from every perspective. We educate and mobilize people like you who can make a difference. We connect our work with those who can shape and influence culture, policy and ideas.

Your support and donations help us develop the resources, plan the events, and connect people. We invite you to participate in next year’s growth in several ways:

  • A gift of $25,000 funds a national conference we are planning in 2007.
  • A gift of $10,000 will pay one-third salary of a still much-needed Executive Director.
  • A gift of $5000 funds half of the Paul Ramsey Awards dinner in March 2007.
  • A gift of $4000 mails our newsletter mailing to our supporters.
  • A gift of $1000 funds our website for an entire year.
  • A gift of $500 sends a national staff member to an event to speak on bioethics.

2006 brought more work than CBC has ever had. Our calendar was packed full and we need more help to meet the demand. We need your help! Gifts of checks, credit cards (online only), pledges, stock are appreciated. Call us to discuss adding CBC to your planned giving. See if your employer has a matching gift program to double your gift to CBC. Help CBC bring people together for a human future! We need your support now to continue our work.

Thank you,
Jennifer Lahl
CBC National Director

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