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'Sharing Miracles' Television Program to Feature Country Music Superstar and Grammy Winner Naomi Judd

Posted on: Wednesday, 31 December 2008, 08:00 CST

WASHINGTON, Dec. 31 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Each Sunday throughout January, Sharing Miracles, a 30-minute public affairs television program that tells the compelling and inspirational stories of real patients, will feature country music superstar and six-time Grammy Award winner Naomi Judd. Sharing Miracles now airs on more than 235 television stations across the United States.

Judd, one-half of the celebrated mother-daughter country music duo, "The Judds," tells the incredible story of her journey from being a hard-working waitress and single mother with two children to being a world-wide music star. Daughters Wynonna -- herself now a successful solo musician -- and two-time Golden Globe-nominated actress Ashley Judd are also highlighted in the show.

All told, The Judds had 20 top-ten hits, including 15 that reached number one on the charts. This led to six Grammy awards, nine Country Music Association Awards and eight Billboard Music Awards. They have sold more than 20 million record albums worldwide, with six albums being certified platinum.

The resilience that drove Judd throughout her life quite possibly saved her life in 1990, when she was diagnosed with Hepatitis C. As she says in this month's episode, "Wynonna and I were cruising through life with the top down, with sold-out coliseums, number-one singles, multi-platinum albums, and six Grammy awards. Our lives had surpassed anybody's wildest expectations."

Yet soon, the disease -- which she likely contracted when accidentally stuck by a needle in her earlier career as an intensive care-unit nurse -- crippled her. "I was terribly sick. I barely knew who I was, where I was," she says. "You're not really in pain, but you just want to give up because you can't imagine living like this every day. And unfortunately, my doctors didn't give me any hope. In fact, one doctor told me I had three years to live."

Judd credits her strong spirit, as well as her daughters, for inspiring her to overcome the often-fatal disease. "I thought, I'm going to live to help research, so we can find a vaccine, so we can find a cure, and so that people understand that when they have these experiences, it's a chance to reevaluate their whole lives."

Joining Judd in her fight to find a cure are scientists at America's pharmaceutical research companies, which currently have 388 potential new medicines in development to fight infectious diseases, such as Hepatitis C.

Speaking on this month's episode about the development of those potential new medicines is Schering-Plough scientist Dr. Janice Albrecht, who says, "There are some very exciting new medications that are being looked at. This is an era where there is a multitude of new drugs that are being added onto the standard therapy in the hopes that we can increase the number of patients that we can cure."

Previous episodes of Sharing Miracles have featured Academy Award-winning actress Marcia Gay Harden, a breast cancer advocate; Emmy Award-winning actor Joey Pantoliano, who suffers from clinical depression; Super Bowl Champion and former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jerome Bettis, who has asthma; Olympic gold medal winners Mark Spitz (high cholesterol), Bruce Jenner (attention deficit disorder), and Greg Louganis (HIV); syndicated television talk show host Montel Williams, who suffers from multiple sclerosis; actor and Leave It To Beaver star Jerry Mathers, who is affected by diabetes; pop icon and Broadway star Deborah Gibson, who has suffered from devastating anxiety attacks; Pro Football Hall-of-Famer Len Dawson, who survived prostate cancer; and North Carolina State University women's basketball coach Kay Yow, a breast cancer survivor. February's Sharing Miracles will feature four-time Emmy Award nominee and former star of Family Ties Meredith Baxter, who works tirelessly as a breast cancer advocate after successfully battling the disease herself.

The new episode debuts January 4. Sharing Miracles airs on Sunday mornings on the following network-affiliated stations:

* WDCA-TV (MyTV), Washington, DC, 9 am-9:30 am

* WPHL-TV (MyTV), Philadelphia, PA, 11 am-11:30 am

* WUTB-TV (MyTV), Baltimore, MD, 9 am-9:30

* WXIN-TV (FOX), Indianapolis, IN, 11:30 am-12 noon

* KABB-TV (FOX), San Antonio, TX, 8 am-8:30 am

* WNAB-TV (CW), Nashville, TN, 10-10:30 am

* WCTX-TV (MyTV), Hartford/New Haven, CT, 9-9:30 am

* WRAZ-TV (FOX), Raleigh, NC, 7:30 am-8 am

* WSYX-TV (ABC), Columbus, OH, 7:30 am-8 am

* KTXL-TV (FOX), Sacramento/Stockton/Modesto, CA, 6:30 am-7 am

* WWL-TV (CBS), New Orleans, LA, 7:30 am-8 am

* WTWC-TV (NBC), Tallahassee, FL, 10 am-10:30 am

* WCIA-TV (CBS), Springfield/Champaign/Urbana/Decatur, IL, 10:30 am-11 am

* WBRZ-TV (ABC), Baton Rouge, LA, 11 am-11:30 am

* KTKA-TV (ABC), Topeka, KS, 8:30 am-9 am

* WRLH-TV (FOX), Richmond, VA, 10 am-10:30 am

* WNAC-TV (FOX), Providence, RI, 10:30 am-11 am

* WHTM-TV (ABC), Harrisburg, PA, 11 am-11:30 am

* WNCF-TV (ABC), Montgomery, AL, 9:30 am-10 am

* WLAJ-TV (ABC), Lansing, MI, 11 am-11:30 am

* WACH-TV (FOX), Columbia, SC, 11 am-11:30 am

* WAPT-TV (ABC), Jackson, MS, 9 am-9:30 am

* WOWK-TV (CBS), Charleston/Huntington, WV, 11:30 am-12 non

* WMTW-TV (ABC), Portland/Augusta, ME, 11:30 am-12 noon

* KHBB-TV (ABC), Helena, MT, 10 am-10:30 am

* WMBD-TV (CBS), Peoria, IL, 10 am-10:30 am

* WOI-TV (ABC), Des Moines, IA, 6:30 am-7 am

* WHBF-TV (CBS), Rock Island, IL/Davenport, IA, 10 am-10:30 am

* KLRT-TV (FOX), Little Rock, AR, 9:30 am-10 am

* KDLT-TV (NBC), Sioux Falls, SD, 9 am-9:30 am

* KBMY-TV (ABC), Minot/Bismarck, ND, 9 am-9:30 am

* KLKN-TV (ABC), Lincoln, NE, 10:30 am-11 am

* KFBB-TV (ABC), Great Falls, MT, 10 am-10:30 am

* KDEV-TV (ABC), Cheyenne, WY, 7:30 am-8:00 am

* WTOV-TV (ABC), Rockford, IL, 10:30 am-10 am

* KGEM-TV (NBC), Quincy, IL, 11 am-11:30 am

* WSIL-TV (ABC), Carbondale, IL/Paducah, KY/Cape Girardeau, MO, 10:30 am-11 am.

The show also airs on 201 community broadcast stations across the country. For free DVDs of Sharing Miracles, please contact the PhRMA press line at 202-835-3460 or go to www.sharingmiracles.com.

Community stations airing Sharing Miracles are located in the following cities: Anchorage, AK; Decatur, AL; Harrison, AR; Mountain Home, AR; Casa Grande, AZ; Chino Valley, AZ; Claremont, CA; Compton, CA; Del Mar, CA; Gilroy, CA; Hayward, CA; Pasadena, CA; Petaluma, CA; Sacramento, CA; San Andreas, CA; San Francisco, CA; Santa Barbara, CA; Aurora, CO; Golden, CO; Longmont, CO; Thornton, CO; Bridgeport, CT; Hamden, CT; Hartford, CT; Madison, CT; North Haven, CT; Plainville, CT; Simsbury, CT; Brooksville, FL; Fort Lauderdale, FL; Tampa, FL; Palm Coast, FL; Atlanta, GA; Douglasville, GA; Fort Oglethorpe, GA; Hilo, HI; Des Moines, IA; Mount Vernon, IA; Olin, IA; Muscatine, IA; Mountain Home, ID; Pocatello, ID; Addison, IL; Aurora, IL; Batavia, IL; Glen Ellyn, IL; Lake Forest, IL; Naperville, IL; Romeoville, IL; Urbana, IL; Bloomington, IN; Fort Wayne, IN; Lawrence, KS; Covington, KY; Highland Heights, KY; Bossier City, LA; Houma, LA; Lafayette, LA; New Orleans, LA; Amherst, MA; Arlington, MA; Boston, MA; Brookline, MA; Carver, MA; Chelmsford, MA; Dracut, MA; East Longmeadow, MA; Easthampton, MA; Foxboro, MA; Holden, MA; Hopkinton, MA; Leominster, MA; Lexington, MA; Longmeadow, MA; Lynn, MA; Marion, MA; Marshfield, MA; Sandwich, MA; Worcester, MA; Easton, MD; Greenbelt, MD; Largo, MD; Bridgton, ME; Brunswick, ME; Madison, ME; Mexico, ME; Ann Arbor, MI; Cadillac, MI; Farmington Hills, MI; Holland, MI; Kalamazoo, MI; Lake Orion, MI; Manistee, MI; Portage, MI; Romeo, MI; Waterford, MI; Wyandotte, MI; Blaine, MN; Bloomington, MN; Champlin, MN; Coon Rapids, MN; Duluth, MN; Fergus Falls, MN; Hibbing, MN; Hutchinson, MN; Minneapolis, MN; Rosemont, MN; Spring Park, MN; Stillwater, MN; White Bear Lake, MN; Columbia, MO; Hillsboro, MS; Vicksburg, MS; Helena, MT; Albemarle, NC; Knightdale, NC; Fargo, ND; Hastings, NE; Omaha, NE; Claremont, NH; Derry, NH; Durham, NH; Londonderry, NH; Manchester, NH; North Conway, NH; Wolfeboro, NH; Metuchen, NJ; Princeton, NJ; Statewide, NJ; Albuquerque, NM; Los Alamos, NM; Santa Fe, NM; Taos, NM; Minden, NV; Chappaqua, NY; Fairport, NY; Staten Island, NY; Tivoli, NY; Webster, NY; Athens, OH; Cincinnati, OH; Defiance, OH; Fairborn, OH; Hudson; OH; Macedonia, OH; Norwood, OH; Troy, OH; Perry, OK; Oregon City, OR; Silverton, OR; Ardmore, PA; Berwyn, PA; Gettysburg, PA; McMurray, PA; Moon Township, PA; Pottstown, PA; Reading, PA; Wayne, PA; York, PA; Germantown, TN; Murfreesboro, TN; College Station, TX; Denton, TX; Houston, TX; Cedar City, UT; Logan, UT; Blacksburg, VA; Herndon, VA; Barre, VT; Bellow Falls, VT; Bristol, VT; Burlington, VT; Hyde Park, VT; Manchester Center, VT; Middlebury, VT; Newport, VT; Springfield, VT; Waitsfield, VT; White River Junction, VT; Bainbridge Island, WA; Bremerton, WA; Ellensburg, WA; Kent, WA; Longview, WA; Port Townsend, WA; Seattle, WA; Toppenish, WA; Dodgeville, WI; Hartford, WI; Janesville, WI; Lake Mills, WI; Madison, WI; Muskego, WI; New London, WI; Reedsburg, WI; River Falls, WI; Superior, WI; Waterloo, WI; Whitehall, WI; and Wisconsin Rapids, WI.

The show's corresponding Web site, www.sharingmiracles.com, is an interactive forum for people to relate their own personal stories of hope and survival. Every patient's battle is unique, but the collective power of shared experiences can offer great help and courage to others who are fighting for their lives.

The Partnership for Prescription Assistance (PPA) helps uninsured and financially-struggling patients access information on programs that provide prescription medicines for free or nearly free. To find out if they may qualify for help, patients should call toll-free 1-888-4PPA-NOW to speak with a trained specialist or visit www.pparx.org.

The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) represents the country's leading pharmaceutical research and biotechnology companies, which are devoted to inventing medicines that allow patients to live longer, healthier, and more productive lives. PhRMA companies are leading the way in the search for new cures. PhRMA members alone invested an estimated $44.5 billion in 2007 in discovering and developing new medicines. Industry-wide research and investment reached a record $58.8 billion in 2007.

PhRMA Internet Address: http://www.phrma.org

For information on stories of hope and survival, visit: http://sharingmiracles.com/

For information on how innovative medicines save lives, visit: http://www.innovation.org

For information on the Partnership for Prescription Assistance, visit: http://www.pparx.org

For information on the danger of imported drugs, visit: http://www.buysafedrugs.info

CONTACT: Kate Michael of Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, +1-202-835-3460

SOURCE Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America

Source: PR Newswire

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