JPL's Curiosity mission comes down to this: the Martian surface

I am so excited for this!

Neil Mottinger from NASA, who will be sitting in the room across the hall from the command center when the 7 Minutes of Terror takes place, sent me this article from the Los Angeles Times which does a great job of describing the landing sequence of the Mars Rover Curiosity (and as usual I added a bunch of photos).

We’ll be watching !

  July 14, 2012
On Aug. 5 (this Sunday evening), as nervous Jet Propulsion Laboratory engineers watch, the fate of the rover — capable of pulverizing rocks and ingesting soil — will rest on a landing sequence so far-fetched that some scientists were skeptical it could work. More than half of missions to Mars, dating to a series of fly-by attempts by the Soviet Union in the 1960s, have failed, and JPL remains the only institution to deposit a successful robot on the Red Planet.
By Scott Gold

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory's David Oh, left, and Ray Baker, right, discuss the Curiosity rover's mission to Mars.

After a journey of nearly nine months, the six-wheel laboratory above is scheduled to touch down on the Red Planet at 10:31 p.m. PDT on Sunday, Aug. 5.
Three weeks from tonight, an amiable, whip-smart engineer named Ray Baker will be staring into his computer screen at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, hopeful and helpless — or, as he puts it, "sweating blood."
The night will have been 10 years and $2.5 billion in the making, incorporating the work of 5,000 people in 37 states. And then, 154 million miles from home, the fate of the most ambitious machine humans have sent to another planet will rest on a seven-minute landing sequence so far-fetched it looks like something Wile E. Coyote devised to catch the Road Runner.

After a journey of nearly nine months, the six-wheel laboratory NASA has dubbed Curiosity is scheduled to touch down on Mars at 10:31 p.m. PDT on Aug. 5.
Curiosity's science could captivate the public like no other space mission in recent memory. The robot is equipped with a nuclear-powered lab capable of vaporizing rocks and ingesting soil, furthering the search for signs of life, revolutionizing the study of Mars and potentially paving the way for human exploration.
Initially, though, the allure of the mission will come in its daredevil landing on the floor of a crater. In the time it takes to drive to the grocery store, the spacecraft will change shape like a toy Transformer six times, slowing from 13,000 mph to 1.7 mph while using 76 pyrotechnic devices, ropes, knives and the largest supersonic parachute ever built.

"When you work through the engineering, it actually makes a lot of sense," said Baker, who has been an engineer since 2001 at La Cañada Flintridge's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which is managing the mission for NASA. "But it looks crazy."
What's more, the entire sequence must run on its own, because Mars is so far away that scientists can't fly the craft remotely; they will have sent their last command to the spacecraft two hours earlier.
Curiosity will send an alert when it enters the Martian atmosphere, but it will take the message roughly 14 minutes to reach Earth. So, by the time the message is received, the craft will have already been on the surface for seven minutes, either intact or wrecked. NASA has labeled this period "seven minutes of terror."
Mars is a notoriously difficult place to land a machine. "It's known for eating spacecraft," said Devin Kipp, another of the 30-odd JPL engineers responsible for Curiosity's landing sequence.
Beyond the travel involved, Mars' atmosphere is 100 times thinner than Earth's — just enough to cause problems but not enough to slow down a spacecraft to a manageable speed without powerful assistance. More than half of missions to Mars, dating to a series of fly-by attempts by the Soviet Union in the 1960s, have failed, and JPL remains the only institution to deposit a successful robot on the Red Planet.
The elaborate landing sequence for Curiosity grew out of necessity. As it was being designed, scientists began ratcheting up their ambitions. That meant new gadgets, which begot more gadgets needed to power and protect them. "The rover started to grow," Baker said. Before long, the plan called for a 2,000-pound rover the size of a small car — five times heavier than NASA's previous Mars rovers.
Landing sequences used in the past wouldn't work. The contraption that in 2004 allowed the Spirit and Opportunity rovers to bounce in an air bag to resting positions became too heavy to launch when scaled up for Curiosity. Engineers initially wanted to land Curiosity on a platform, then pilot it down a ramp. But the platform design grew to unmanageable proportions.
So the engineers came up with something new — a sequence so odd that even some of the scientists tasked with building the thing were highly skeptical.

Curiosity, folded inside a heat shield, will hit the Martian atmosphere at 13,000 mph, firing thrusters to stabilize its course and steer it toward the crater. Atmospheric friction will heat the shield to 1,600 degrees and begin to slow the craft.

When it reaches about 1,000 mph, an explosive charge will release a massive parachute that is packed to the density of wood and capable of withstanding 65,000 pounds of force.


NASA's Mars Science Laboratory mission will use the largest parachute ever built to fly on a planetary mission. The parachute uses a configuration called disk-gap-band. It has 80 suspension lines, measures more than 165 feet (50 meters) in length, and opens to a diameter of nearly 51 feet (16 meters). The parachute is designed to survive deployment at Mach 2.2 in the Martian atmosphere, where it will generate up to 65,000 pounds of drag force.

In this photo above from October 2007, engineers check out an early parachute design for the MSL descent being tested in a wind tunnel at NASA Ames Research Center.
(Credit: NASA/JPL, Pioneer Aerospace)

The craft will then discard its heat shield, which would otherwise act like a lens cap on a camera — Curiosity's radar couldn't "see" the ground to find its target.


NASA’s Curiosity Mars Science Laboratory Rover inside the entry aeroshell
Technicians are connecting Curiosity's Heat Shield and Back Shell. At the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the "back shell powered descent vehicle" configuration, containing NASA's Mars Science Laboratory rover, Curiosity, is being placed on the spacecraft's heat shield. Launch is set for Nov. 25, 2011 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
In less than two minutes, the spacecraft will slow to about 200 mph. It will then jettison the parachute and, for a brief moment, be in free fall.
"Here's where it gets really exciting," Baker said with a laugh.
Eight rocket engines pointed at the ground will erupt, arresting the fall. But the discarded parachute will be falling right behind; Curiosity could stick the landing, only to find itself smothered by the massive chute. So the craft will use the engines to lurch about 350 yards, out of the chute's path.
The spacecraft will then be about a mile above the ground. In the next 35 seconds, the rockets will slow the craft to less than 2 mph.
In theory, the rockets could provide a gentle enough landing to finish the job. But in practice, they would kick up such a dust storm that it could ruin the rover. So at 66 feet, the rover will fall yet again. As the craft descends, Curiosity will be spat out by a "sky crane," lowered by 25-foot ropes as the rover unfurls its wheels.



A last critical moment will come when Curiosity's wheels touch down, because the spacecraft will suddenly lose half its weight. If it begins to drift, the ropes could drag the rover. So Curiosity has 0.7 of a second to fire pyrotechnic charges that send blades sweeping across the nylon tethers. Once the ropes are cut, the craft above — its job completed — will rocket off, crash-landing a safe 450 meters away.
Then, finally, the rover will be alone, and safe, and prepared to begin the mission.
"I've been trying to imagine it," Baker said. "I'm looking forward to seeing what my reaction will be. We'll be celebrating like mad. We're down safe. The descent stage is over — and it's game time for the science team."

The engineers are spending their final days tinkering with the system to ensure that they are prepared for any problems, such as unusually high winds.
On a recent morning, a dozen engineers gathered at JPL in the same room they'll be in the night of the landing. They were sending a software patch to the rover as it flew toward Mars, intended to make the craft more impervious to unusual atmospheric conditions.
Inside the room, there was little sound other than the hum of 100 computers and occasional engineer-speak: "Niner Eight Bravo." "Load the binary." The file was a mere 190 kilobytes; a desktop computer would load that amount of information in seconds, but because Curiosity was 140 million miles away, it took 29 minutes. Engineers watched the clock warily. One tapped his wristwatch as if he were waiting for a train.
"Just waiting on the speed of light," Baker said under his breath. "Too slow for us."
Then, the spacecraft responded — success.
There are few days left to tinker. Before long, engineers will send their last commands and hope for the best. "We talk to the spacecraft every day," Baker said. "But pretty soon it's time to just watch it fly."
Engineers are a superstitious sort — they'll be eating their traditional peanuts the night of the landing, some wearing their lucky mission shirts — but they're confident about the landing sequence, most of the time.

In the beginning, "there were a lot of questions," said Steve Sell, a member of the entry, descent and landing engineering team. A large group, including engineers and astronauts — even pilots who had flown Sikorsky Skycrane heavy-lift helicopters — weighed in with concerns and corrections. By now, after hundreds of tests and fixes, "we're very comfortable," Sell said.
"There's always a little bit of you that thinks there is an 'unknown unknown,' and that's the thing we always fear," he said. "On landing day, we'll all be nervous. But I don't think any of us will be thinking that there was something else we should have done."
Engineers ran many tests on the parachute, for instance, in a massive wind tunnel. They're confident the chute will withstand the force needed to slow the craft down. But it was more difficult, because of atmospheric differences, to make sure the chute will inflate the same way above Mars that it did in the tunnel.
"It's not really possible to do an end-to-end test on Earth — because Earth is not Mars," Kipp said. "The whole program was based on doing it in pieces, and putting those pieces together will prove that the system will work as a whole. But the first time we do that end-to-end test, it's not a test. It's the real thing. On Mars."
When time permits and you want to see some amazing animation showing the voyage, landing, and Curiosity at work without the narration watch this 11:20 minute video. Very well done!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4boyXQuUIw

ALS-stricken NFL player and coach, the first patient to undergo new procedure for reprogramming adult stem cells, shows auspicious results

What do you all think about this?
GULF SHORES, Ala., July 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Eight years ago, Frank Orgel, a former NFL football player and college coach, was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Orgel's quality of life declined to the point that he could not move his left arm or leg, walk or even stand on his own. But, within a few days of undergoing a new stem cell reprogramming technique performed by Dr. Jason R. Williams at Precision StemCell (http://www.precisionstemcell.com), Orgel's constant muscle fasciculation (muscle twitching) lessened significantly. Within weeks, he was able to walk in a pool of water and stand unassisted.
The technique performed on Orgel is InVivo reprogramming, which reprograms adult stem cells into neural stem cells. The procedure involves harvesting adult stem cells from the patient's own fat, which Dr. Williams obtains via minimally invasive liposuction, and then using image-guided therapy to insert the stem cells into the patient's spine. For three to five days after the procedure, Dr. Williams places the patient on an oral medication that, as laboratory research has shown, causes stem cells to reprogram, converting them into neural stem cells.
"We are the only facility in the United States performing the InVivo reprogramming procedure," said Dr. Williams. "Frank was the first patient in the world, that we are aware of, to have the procedure done."
Orgel attests to the efficacy of the new procedure. "My leg normally drags and would have to be moved for me, but now I'm able to move it myself," he stated. "I feel that this is definite improvement."
Dr. Williams, a radiologist who specializes in image-guided procedures, had already been performing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), ultrasound and fluoroscopy-guided stem cell injections for joint and orthopedic conditions. "This new technique of InVivo reprogramming shows great promise for possibly repairing or regenerating nerve cells," he stated. "That means it may open up opportunities for treating several neural conditions such as spinal cord injury, stroke, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease."
"We are really excited that this technique can help increase the number of neural stem cells that are transferred back into the patient," continued Dr. Williams. "We are hopeful that this will indeed help us heal or regrow nerve cells; however, it is still too soon to really know."
About Precision StemCell
Located in Gulf Shores, Alabama, Precision StemCell conducts stem cell procedures using advanced imaging techniques, which include an Open 3T MRI, a low-dose 64-Slice CT scanner, ultrasound, and real time x-ray (fluoroscopy). Headed byJason Williams, MD, a board certified radiologist with extensive training in image guided procedures, the facility performs advanced stem cell harvesting and processing with image guided stem cell injections.
Contact:
Bob Hubbard
Precision StemCell
251-948-3420
hubbard@precisionstemcell.com
http://www.precisionstemcell.com

The 2012 Transit of Venus

http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/OH/transit12.html
The transit or passage of a planet across the face of the Sun is a relatively rare occurrence. As seen from Earth, only transits of Mercury and Venus are possible. On average, there are 13 transits of Mercury each century. In contrast, transits of Venus occur in pairs with more than a century separating each pair.
The last Venus transit was in 2004 so the second event of the pair will occur on Wednesday, June 6 (Tuesday, June 5 from the Western Hemisphere). The entire event will be widely visible from the western Pacific, eastern Asia and eastern Australia as shown in Figure 1. Most of North and Central America, and northern South America will witness the beginning of the transit (on June 5) but the Sun will set before the event ends. Similarly, observers in Europe, western and central Asia, eastern Africa and western Australia will see the end of the event since the transit will already be in progress at sunrise from those locations.
Tomorrow I will bring in my telescope and have it set up in the RA-11 parking lot for anyone that wants to witness the event.
Stop on by and experience the last Venus transit for 105 years (I think it’s safe to say the last one in our lifetime (2117)).


For Northern Hemisphere locations above latitude ~67° north, all of the transit is visible regardless of the longitude. Northern Canada and all of Alaska will also see the entire event. Residents of Iceland are in a unique wedge-shaped part of the path (Region X in Figure 1). They will see both the start and end of the transit but the Sun will set for a short period around greatest transit. A similarly shaped region exists south of Australia (Region Y in Figure 1), but here, the Sun rises after the transit begins and sets before the event ends.
The principal events occurring during a transit are conveniently characterized by contacts, analogous to the contacts of an annular solar eclipse. The transit begins with contact I, the instant the planet's disk is externally tangent to the Sun. Shortly after contact I, the planet can be seen as a small notch along the solar limb. The entire disk of the planet is first seen at contact II when the planet is internally tangent to the Sun. Over the course of several hours, the silhouetted planet slowly traverses the solar disk. At contact III, the planet reaches the opposite limb and once again is internally tangent to the Sun. Finally, the transit ends at contact IV when the planet's limb is externally tangent to the Sun. Contacts I and II define the phase called ingress while contacts III and IV are known as egress. Position angles for Venus at each contact are measured counterclockwise from the north point on the Sun's disk.

                                            Table 1

Geocentric Phases of the 2012 Transit of Venus 

Event         Universal    Mountain   Position 

                 Time        Time       Angle

Contact I      22:09:38     4:09:38     41°

Contact II     22:27:34     4:27:34    38°

Greatest       01:29:36     7:29:36    345°

Contact III    04:31:39     10:31:39   293°

Contact IV     04:49:35     10:49:35   290°

Table 1 gives the geocentric times of major events during the transit. Greatest transit is the instant when Venus passes closest to the Sun's center (i.e. - minimum separation).
I added the Mountain Time Zone to Table 1. First Contact begins at 4:09:38 p.m. and because the sun sets at 8:24 p.m. (a bit earlier because of the mountains) the total transit is not visible.
During the 2012 transit, Venus's minimum separation from the Sun is 554 arc-seconds (During the 2004 transit, the minimum separation was 627 arc-seconds). The position angle is defined as the direction of Venus with respect to the center of the Sun's disk, measured counterclockwise from the celestial north point on the Sun. Figure 2 shows the path of Venus across the Sun's disk and the scale gives the Universal Time of Venus's position at any point during the transit. The celestial coordinates of the Sun and Venus are provided at greatest transit as well as the times of the major contacts.
Note that these times are for an observer at Earth's center. The actual contact times for any given observer may differ by up to ±7 minutes. This is due to effects of parallax since Venus's 58 arc-second diameter disk may be shifted up to 30 arc-seconds from its geocentric coordinates depending on the observer's exact position on Earth. Table 2 and Table 3 list predicted contact times and corresponding altitudes of the Sun for locations throughout Canada and the United States, respectively. Table 4 provides similar predictions for a number of cities around the world.

Can Stem Cells help ALS Patients?

Neuralstem Phase 1 Stem Cell Trial Shows Safety, Possible Efficacy
Transplantation of stem cells into the spinal cords of 12 people with ALS has proven safe and well-tolerated, with no long-term complications

Article Highlights:

Results from a phase 1 study in ALS to evaluate the safety of stem cells transplanted into the lumbar (lower back) region of the spinal cord, as well as the transplantation technique itself, showed the treatment to be safe and well-tolerated.

One trial participant showed clinical improvement, even though the trial was not designed to demonstrate efficacy.

Maryland biotherapeutics company Neuralstem announced March 28, 2012, that the results, taken from the first 12 patients with ALS, have been reported online in the journal Stem Cells. Testing continues to progress through increased levels of risk.
To learn more, read the full ALS News Online article. als.mda.org
Scott Wiebe
National Director — Outreach Services & ALS Division

Help Save the ALS Research Program

Two days ago, we asked you to contact Congress to help continue funding for the National ALS Registry. Thank you to everyone who sent emails to Congress! Today, we are asking for your assistance to help save the ALS Research Program at the Department of Defense. The program is designed to find a treatment for ALS as soon as possible, but unless your Representatives hear from you, Congress may eliminate this vital research program.
U.S. Representatives Elton Gallegly (R-CA) and Chellie Pingree (D-ME) are circulating a letter requesting the House Appropriations Committee provide $10 million in funding for the ALSRP next year. We urge you to contact your Representatives today to request that they sign onto this critical letter and help us find a treatment for ALS.
The text of the Gallegly-Pingree "Dear Colleague" letter is available by clicking here.
Representatives Gallegly and Pingree have set a deadline of March 15, 2012 for signing onto the letter. So please contact your Representative TODAY and urge Congress to continue funding for the ALSRP -- tell them that they need to stop ALS, not the funding that is so urgently needed to find a treatment.
A sample letter you can email to your Representative is available in the Advocacy Action Center of our website here: http://capwiz.com/alsa/home/.
Congress needs to understand how critically important the ALSRP is to the search for a treatment. They need to know how important this program is to their constituents, the people with ALS they were elected to represent. Contact Congress TODAY!
If you have any questions or would like assistance reaching out to your Representative, please contact us at advocacy@alsa-national.org or toll-free at 1-877-444-ALSA.

Acclaimed physicist Hawking 'a regular' at Calif. strip joint

Damn right Mr. Hawking 
By PHIL HELSEL
Stephen Hawking certainly has discovered some new heavenly bodies — at a California jiggle joint.
The apparently sex-crazed 70-year-old genius astrophysicist, who is confined to a wheelchair by Lou Gehrig’s disease and uses a computer to speak, has been spotted several times getting lap dances at California sex club Devore, RadarOnline reported today.
Hawking, whose work on black holes earned him international acclaim, arrives at the club with an entourage of nurses and assistants and has "naked women grind on him," RadarOnline reported.
"I have seen Steven Hawking at the club more than a handful of times," the source told the online celebrity gossip site. "Last time I saw him he was in the back 'play area' laying on a bed fully clothed with two naked women gyrating all over him."

AP
Acclaimed physicist Stephen Hawking.
Although debilitated by the disease, which is also known as motor neurone disease, Hawking has been a member of the Freedom Acres swingers club for more than a decade, according to the report.
Hawking and his second wife, Elaine, divorced in 2006. His first marriage, to Jane Hawking, ended in 1990.
Diagnosed at the age of 21, Hawking was given only a few years to live but has defied medical opinion by reaching his eighth decade.
"I'm sure my disability has a bearing on why I'm well known," he once said. "People are fascinated by the contrast between my very limited physical powers, and the vast nature of the universe I deal with."
Much of his work has centered on bringing together relativity (the nature of space and time) and quantum theory (how the smallest particles in the universe behave) to explain the creation of the universe and how it is governed.
Hawking is a good sport, according to RadarOnline, and will even pose for photos with fans as long as the pics are taken in "a neutral area."
"But Stephen is by far the last person I ever expected to see in this club," the source told the site.
-- with NewsCore

Update on Roger and Our Family: By Julie

Dear Family and Friends,

I thought it would be helpful for me to give you an update on Roger. It has been over 6 years since his diagnosis.

He continues to have a slow progression and we are very grateful for that. However, slow does not mean NO progression unfortunately. The biggest change lately has been his speech. We have for several months been adjusting to this change. We can still understand him, but it is just getting more and more difficult. It is extremely difficult to have to say "what" over and over again in a day to a man you just don't want to make repeat what he said because it is so difficult to talk in the first place. His legs continue to be pretty strong but they are progressing as well. He recently was fitted for leg braces (AFO's) to help give him some lift in his step which will help with any slight drooping he has in his feet. We think this will make him feel more confident when walking any distances. He did just have a check up in November to see how things are going. He had a routine FVC (forced vital capacity) test. This is the total volume of air expired after a full inspiration. A healthy person's measures at 100% or more. Back in July, 2010 it was at 84% and now it is at 70%. This is actually pretty good 15 months later, but is still tough to see it go down. The doctors say that usually when a patient's FVC gets down to 50%, it is usually time for a feeding tube because the swallowing is usually effected by then as well. Needless to say, he is not looking forward to not eating.....neither am I for him.

We are doing our best to all just take this disease one day at a time, but that is not so easy to do. We're told to be proactive which means thinking ahead.

We want to thank all of you who have supported us one way or another over the past 6 years. I know that Mary has been our sort of spokesperson without being asked to be. She has gone above and beyond what I ever imagined or expected. I cannot thank her enough for driving to see us 3 times now. Her and Carli are like Thelma and Louise I call them.....always up for a road trip. I also want to thank Roger's parents again for coming out to take care of the boys while I went to Premier's National Rally back in July. That was huge and I am very grateful for them coming out here to help. I definitely know where Roger gets his do do do personality. His dad was quite busy around here, as was his mom. My Auntie Pat and Gary were also out here to visit. Gary was a huge help to Roger with several projects he was hoping to see done. I also want to thank everyone who have been able to contribute to our Childs' Supplemental Care fund over these years. I hesitate bringing this up because I never want ANYONE to feel badly if they cannot contribute. We are just as grateful if not more grateful for simply keeping in touch with us and praying for us. THANK YOU SO MUCH!

I want to address the fact that I would love to talk with all of you but can't always do so. We really do appreciate hearing from you though and even emailing us and/or leaving us messages is nice. I will do my best to call back or email back, but appreciate your understanding if I don't right away. I really hope no one is upset with me in regards to this. I want to hear about your lives too!

This journey has been and continues to be a daily struggle mostly for Roger of course, but all of our lives have changed drastically and we really are trying to do our best with all that is happening to our family. Being diabetic is also an aspect of our lives that I am trying not to neglect.

I truly hope people don't stay away from us because they think we have enough on our plate or maybe because it is just too painful to hear about what is going on with us. Trust me.....it is much more painful on Roger's end. But here is what is most amazing.....ROGER HAS THE GREATEST ATTITUDE 99% OF THE TIME!!!!!!! He absolutely puts me to shame! I am learning how to be a caregiver...not just a caregiver, but a good one. There are times I basically go through the motions. This wonderful man can't help that he needs so much help (not at all his fault he has this) and care......care being the most important word here. Trying so hard to give care with care is something I didn't think would be difficult but actually can be at times. Roger does need me to feed him, shower him, dress him, undress him, brush his teeth, shave him, clip nails and get him what he needs/wants. We love each other and will continue to be here for each other. The boys are strong, but it does break both Roger's and my hearts to see them live through this. It really is so unfair and we can't change it so we do try and see the good that does come from it. They are compassionate boys who certainly know how to persevere through rough times in life. As their mother and father, we just never imagined they would have to persevere through anything like this. None of us did. Please pray for patience on my part and for each of our parts in our family. Connor is 15 now, a freshman in high school and is such a good kid who loves his dad so much, but can get agitated once in awhile. After all he sees his mom get that way sometimes too. Brandon is 11 now, a 5th grader and is also such a good boy who thinks the world of his daddy. He too helps him so much. He needs prayer for his worrying about daddy falling. He has seen this happen several times. It is just part of what happens to people who have ALS.....another aspect we need to keep an eye on and make changes when necessary. They both help me help Roger and I don't know what I would do without their help. I am so grateful to God for their strength. He gave us 2 amazing young men!

I continue to work my business with Premier and am super grateful for all it has done for me and our family. Because of Premier, I do get to stay home and take care of Roger during the day and not try and figure out how to do that while going to a regular day job. The boys do help here when I go to my shows. Again, looking ahead, there will need to be help to come in at some point as the care for Roger increases....but back to one day at a time.

We are looking forward to all going on a cruise I earned with Premier this coming March. We are excited to bring the boys this time. What a total blessing!

I once told Roger that I really didn't think he would be able to handle this disease very well (who could honestly?.....not many) because of how he is such a doer and likes to keep busy and moving. I then said that he has just been so strong through it all. His reply to me was that it wasn't him at all, but it must be because of God. That was huge to hear! Thank you God! He certainly does work miracles. We all just have to open our eyes and our hearts to recognize them when they happen. Who knows.......maybe we will get a miracle and Roger will be cured (along with the thousands of others living with this heinous disease). If that does happen, get ready for the biggest celebration on a sunny beach that you have ever been to!!!!!!

If you could please forward this out to others you think might want to get an update on Roger and our family, I would very much appreciate it.

Love,

Julie