Caitlin Cooley

Mr. Eigenberg
HELA 10, 2
3 March 2015
Persuasive Speech Sample Outline
I.

My story with how I was diagnosed with Crohn Disease and how stem cell research
could potentially cure me.
A. Majority of the people in this room are healthy and will continue to be healthy
until they grow old and pass away.
B. In 8th grade I became sick out of the blue and 6th months later I was diagnosed
with Crohn Disease.
C. Crohn Disease is an auto-immune disease meaning my immune system attacks
its self in my GI track.
D. When I was diagnosed they told me I would be sick for the rest of my life or until
there was a cure. There isnt a cure, and the only thing close enough to a cure is
removing the bone marrow, obliterating the immune system with chemo then
putting the stem cells.
E. I could be cured with stem cell research along with other people suffering from
incurable diseases.
F. Many people believe that stem cell research is ethically immoral in actuality it
has the potential to save countless number of people from incurable diseases.

II.

Explanation as to what stem cell research is. The two types of stem cells.
A. There are two types of stem cell research, the first type is Adult Stem Cell
research which the cell comes from an adult stem cells (bone marrow.) The
second types Embryotic Stem Cell which come from a fertilized egg and sperm.

B. Embryotic Stem Cell Research is a long process first starting with the donation.
Then the embryo goes through the process of being considered pluripotent
meaning they can become any type of cell.
C. * Not from eggs fertilized in a womens body.
- Once the stem cell has gone a prolonged time without differentiating they are
considered pluripotent are referred to as an embryonic stem cell line. At this
point the stem cells and be frozen and sent to other laboratories for further
experimentation.(Bethesda, MD)
After the stem cells reach the labs they are genetically altered by inserting specific
genes to be specified into cells (ie: heart cells, brain cells, blood cells)
D. Adult stem cell Research-if the differentiation of adult stem cells can be
controlled in the laboratory, these cells may become the basis of transplantationbased therapies.(Bethesda, MD)
E. Stem cells can help to replace organ or blood transfusions and over all help to
cure diseases from an embryotic cell or an adult cell.
F. Conclusion: Stem cell research has only begun in recent years and they are
already finding the genetic recipes for specific cells. The potential for advances in
curing diseases lies in the ability for stem cells to create vital cells.

III.

The ethical debate in stem cell research, whether it is morally acceptable.

A. The ethical debate has two sides, the side that stem cell research is morally wrong
and they stem cell research needs to be done.
B. The people who believe that stem cell research is morally wrong believe that a
child is born at conception- Professor Lisa Sowle Cahill professor of theology at
Boston College saysIts based on an idea that as soon as you have and individual

human life you have a person.(Lisa Sowle Cahill- Professor of Theology- Boston
College)
C. In medicine a fetus is considered a person at 24 weeks or the end of the 2 nd
trimester.
D. In the U.S. abortion is legal which goes against the viewpoint of most religions.
And that is destroying a fetus for the parents benefit. But taking a stem cell for
research is not acceptable.
E. According to Executive order 13505 In the U.S. it is not specifically stated that
stem cell research is illegal, the government is extremely limited in funding the
research.(Barack Obama)
F. Is it better to save an embryo or a young adult suffering from congestive heart
failure.
G. Every person has their own opinion to when an embryo become a child and that
ultimately decides how you view stem cell research. And depending on that belief
decides whether it is an ethical debate.

IV.

The negative effects of stem cell research and why it is ethically immoral.
A. The embryo is in the view that, from conception, the embryo is fully a person
with all the rights any person has most notably the right to life.(Paul LauritzenThe National catholic Review)
B. Every time an embryotic stem cell is tested on a child dies.

C. The most advancements have been in adult stem cell research.

D. Catholic church and how they believe stem cell research as experimentation
with life and a sin against the creator (God) .(Opposing viewpoints in context,
Conscience)
E. No one has been cured by embryotic stem cell research so it is killing a child
when they experiment with embryotic cells.
F. The most success with stem cell is with Adult stem cells.

V.

Though there has been no one cured by stem cell research, yet. The lack of funding
and the lack of wide spread acceptance at made the research a slow process. Stem cell
research still has positive effects of changing medicine in the future.
- Its only killing a child if you believe that an embryo is a human at conception.

VI.

Stem cell Research has positive effects

A. The ethical debate on if stem cell research is morally acceptable is not a reason to
stop trying to save people from incurable diseases.

B. Stem cell research can truly help people who have no other option and if you had
a loved one who was sick, wouldnt you want every possibility that they will get
better and survive. And that is the goal of stem cell research is to help people to
survive.