Let people make their own choices

I wasn't going to respond to the writer whose April 4 letter accused Sheryl Jedlinski of being selfish and immoral for favoring embryonic stem cell and other medical research to find a cure for her Parkinson's disease.

But that letter was so mean and thoughtless that I just couldn't get it out of my mind. It began with a barrage of banalities such as "a sin is a sin is a sin" and ended by advising Ms. Jedlinski and all others "who may be dealing with disease or pain, whether emotional of physical," that "there is nothing like prayer."

I have an idea. How about each of us making our own personal choice of how we want to deal with our health issues, (prayer or medical science) and allowing others that same privilege?

On a personal note, I dimly recall my mother telling me that some of our own family ancestors were Christian Scientists who did not believe in surgery. According to her, that entire branch of our family tree died off long ago - most of them from appendicitis.

Gene C. McDougall

Arlington Heights