Tales from the Bed

Loved, loved, loved this book!

I had to go on a waiting list for this book at the bookstore because they were sold out of all of their copies. I originally heard about Tales from the Bed when I saw the documentary “Three Sisters” on HBO. I was so deeply moved by the story of these three sisters (Jennifer, Meredith and Vanessa) as they struggled to get answers and medical treatment for Jennifer, that I wanted more.

Jennifer Estes was struck with ALS, AKA Lou Gehrig's Disease, in the prime of her life. She was living in New York, friends with several celebrities (including Ben Stiller) and having the time of her life. When she first began to develop ALS, her doctors were unable to give her a diagnosis. There were a lot of guesses. Jennifer and her two sisters, and her parents, banded together to get specialists from various medical fields to research what was going with Jennifer and what kind of treatments were available for her. This memoir chronicles Jennifer's fight for a cure, the creation of Project ALS by her and her sisters, and the beginning discoveries medical experts made with stem cell research.

Jennifer spoke in front of Congress on several occassions, along with Michael J. Fox and Christopher Reeve, to gain funding for stem cell research and the hope that stem cells would be able to reverse their illnesses (Parkinson's, ALS, and spinal cord injuries). Jennifer hoped that stem cell research would reach human clinical trials before ALS took her life. The research funding was blocked by President Bush, but that did not deter Jennifer, Meredith and Vanessa from continuing to fight and fund research. Ben Stiller was able to put together several celebrity charity events on behalf of Project ALS to raise money for research.

Jennifer's story is at once heartbreaking and joyous. THrough the convictions of three women, medical professionals from different specialties came together to work for one cause: find a cure for illnesses like ALS, Parkinson's, Alzheimers and spinal cord injuries. These professionals may not have collaborated if it had not been for the love these sisters had for each other. Project ALS has had many more breakthroughs since being formed by the three sisters. Jennifer's story and determination send the message: “Never give up.”

After watching “Three Sisters” and reading “Tales From the Bed”, I have followed the progress of Project ALS and the efforts of the Estes sisters (Meredith and Vanessa), Nancy Reagan and MIchael J. Fox as they continue to speak in front of Congress on stem cell research. The story of Jennifer Estes broke my heart! This is the kind of book that I would recommend to anyone, it's so beautifully told and very heartbreaking real.