Crash! The screech of metal on metal. And then solid darkness envelops you. You wake up five days later in the hospital and the doctor tells you you will never be able to walk again. Why? Your spine was injured in the accident. With neurons unable to regenerate, you remain paralyzed until the day you die. The discovery of stem cells about ten years ago has proven to be one of the most important discoveries of the 21st century. A stem cell is a somatic cell that has not been differentiated into a cell with a specific function. The use of human stem cells as a form of modern medical treatment is not only very useful, but also ethically acceptable. The use of human somatic and embryonic stem cells is a highly beneficial procedure that has the potential to cure diseases that currently leave those afflicted with medications and therapies for the rest of their lives. Federal funding should be allocated for the development of stem cell treatment options based on the capacity for this breakthrough. The use of human stem cells as a form of medical treatment is ethically acceptable. The use of human somatic and embryonic stem cells is a highly beneficial procedure that has the potential to cure diseases, currently leaving those affected with medications and therapies for the rest. of their lives. An example of this is shown in patients who have had heart attacks. Most heart attack patients take painkillers, blood thinners, and cholesterol medications for very long periods after the heart attack, or even for the rest of their lives. Stem cells have the ability to become a specialized somatic cell type under the appropriate conditions, thus allowing them to heal wounds that the body normally could not. Damage to...... half of paper......pName=Journals&prodId=OVIC&action=e&windowstate=normal &catId=&documentId=GALE|A187426915&mode=>.Soejitno, Wihandani, Kuswardhani, . "Stem cells from skin cells: the ethical issues." Clinical Applications of Stem Cell Therapy for Heart Regeneration 42.4 (2010): 243 - 57. Web. 22 Dec 2010..Wong, Nierras, . “Are stem cell-derived islets a commercially viable treatment for type 1 and 2 diabetes?” Future Science Group, Regenerative Medicine 5.6 (2010): 839-42. Network. 22 Dec 2010..McMahon, Singer, Daar, Thorsteinsdóttir, . “Regenerative Medicine in Brazil: Small but Innovative.” Future Science Group, Regenerative Medicine 5.6 (2010): 863-76. Network. December 22 2010..