'Sharing Miracles' Television Program to Feature Emmy Award-Winning Talk Show Host Montel Williams

'Sharing Miracles' Television Program to Feature Emmy Award-Winning Talk Show Host Montel Williams

WASHINGTON, Sept. 3 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- This month, Sharing Miracles -- a 30-minute Sunday morning public affairs television program that tells the compelling and inspirational stories of real patients -- will feature Emmy Award-winning television talk show host and New York Times best-selling author Montel Williams. Sharing Miracles now airs on 176 television stations across the United States.

Before beginning his storied 17-year run as a television host, Williams had a successful career in the armed forces as a special duty intelligence officer in the Navy, specializing in cryptology. A graduate of the Naval Academy, he received a number of military awards and citations during his military career. However, as he neared the end of his service, he started suffering from painful symptoms that repeated visits to doctors did nothing to relieve.

Finally in 1999, Williams was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. His prognosis at the time was not good; in this month's episode, he says the doctor "suggested I could have been in a wheelchair five years ago. But, I'm still walking today. I have MS, but MS will never have me."

Williams attributes his well-being, despite his illness, to hard work and exercise, along with ongoing medical treatment. "I have symptoms, and my symptoms do get a little bit worse, but I'm still holding MS at bay," he says.

He also notes that the future for MS patients is bright; when he was diagnosed, he says, there were three approved treatments available. Now, there are many more, including several new classes of drugs. What's more, America's pharmaceutical research companies have 46 medicines currently in development for treatment of MS.

Also on the episode, EMD Serono scientist Dr. Paul Lammers, explains, "The good news now for MS patients is that there are new drugs on the market in the last five or six years that have truly changed the treatment paradigm." However, he says, "We need more treatment options, because they allow the physician to tailor specific treatments to specific patients."

A vocal patient advocate, Williams is trying to increase awareness of the wide array of symptoms associated with MS and to encourage patients suffering from all disease to move beyond the stigma of illness: "I want people to understand that they're not alone and there is hope."

Williams also serves as national spokesman for the Partnership for Prescription Assistance (PPA) -- a nationwide effort sponsored by America's pharmaceutical research companies -- to raise awareness of patient assistance programs and the need to effectively address the rising and alarming rates of chronic disease. Speaking about the program, he said, "You've got 5 million people in three years who have been helped because of this program. In 17 years on television, this is the best thing I could have done with my celebrity."

Previous episodes of Sharing Miracles have featured Olympic Gold Medal-winning diver Greg Louganis, who is HIV positive; Emmy Award-winning actor Joey Pantoliano, who suffers from clinical depression; 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; North Carolina State University women's basketball coach Kay Yow, a breast cancer survivor; and Olympic Gold Medal winners Mark Spitz (high cholesterol) and Bruce Jenner (attention deficit disorder). Future programs will highlight Academy Award winner and patient advocate Marcia Gay Harden; NFL Hall of Famer, Super Bowl MVP and prostate cancer survivor Len Dawson; and former Pittsburgh Steelers All-Star running back and asthma patient Jerome Bettis, now a commentator for the NFL Network and an NBC studio analyst for Football Night in America.

The new episode debuts September 7. Sharing Miracles airs on Sunday mornings -- in 52 television markets, reaching nearly 50 million households -- on the following network-affiliated stations:

   -- WTTG-TV (FOX), Washington, DC, 10:30 am -11:00 am   -- KCOP-TV (MyTV), Los Angeles, CA, 10 am-10:30 am   -- WFLD-TV (FOX), Chicago, IL, 10 am-10:30 am   -- WWOR-TV (MyTV), New York, NY, 9 am-9:30 am   -- WFTX-TV (FOX), Boston, MA, 11 am-11:30 am   -- WBFF-TV (FOX), Baltimore, MD, 11:00 am-11:30 am   -- WPHL-TV (MyTV), Philadelphia, PA, 11 am-11:30 am   -- WXIN-TV (FOX), Indianapolis, IN, 11:30 am-12 noon   -- WGCL-TV (CBS), Atlanta, GA, 7 am-7:30 am   -- KABB-TV (FOX), San Antonio, TX, 8 am-8:30 am   -- WCIA-TV (CBS), Springfield/Champaign/Urbana/Decatur, IL, 10:30 am-11 am   -- WLAJ-TV (ABC), Lansing, MI, 11 am-11:30 am   -- WNYT-TV (NBC), Albany/Schenectady/Troy, NY, 11:30 am-12 noon   -- KQCA-TV (MyTV), Sacramento/Stockton/Modesto, CA, 11:30 am-12 noon   -- KXTL-TV (FOX), Sacramento/Stockton/Modesto, CA, 6:30 am-7 am   -- WBRZ-TV (ABC), Baton Rouge, LA, 11 am-11:30 am   -- WAPT-TV (ABC), Jackson, MS, 9 am-9:30 am   -- WOWK-TV (CBS), Charleston/Huntington, WV, 11:00 am-11:30 am   -- WSYX-TV (ABC), Columbus, OH, 7:30 am-8 am   -- WTVO-TV (ABC), Rockford, IL, 9 am-9:30 am   -- KGEM-TV (NBC), Quincy, IL, 11 am-11:30 am   -- WNAC-TV (FOX), Providence, RI, 10:30 am-11 am   -- WMTW-TV (ABC), Portland/Augusta, ME, 11:30 am-12 noon   -- KHBB-TV (ABC), Helena, MT, 10 am-10:30 am   -- KIVI-TV (ABC), Boise, ID, 8 am-8:30 am   -- WMBD-TV (CBS), Peoria, IL, 10 am-10:30 am   -- WTWC-TV (NBC), Tallahassee, FL, 10 am-10:30 am   -- WWL-TV (CBS), New Orleans, LA, 7:30 am-8 am   -- WOI-TV (ABC), Des Moines, IA, 6:30 am-7 am   -- WKOW-TV (ABC), Madison, WI, 11 am-11:30 am   -- KFBB-TV (ABC), Great Falls, MT, 10 am-10:30 am   -- WVNY-TV (ABC), Burlington/Montpelier, VT, 11:30 am-12 noon   -- WHBF-TV (CBS), Rock Island, IL/Davenport, IA, 10 am-10:30 am   -- KEYE-TV (CBS), Austin, TX, 10:30 am-11 am   -- KDEV-TV (ABC), Cheyenne, WY, 7:30 am-8:00 am   -- KTKA-TV (ABC), Topeka, KS, 8:30 am-9 am   -- WRAZ-TV (FOX), Raleigh, NC, 7:30 am-8 am   -- KLRT-TV (FOX), Little Rock, AR, 9 am-9:30 am   -- KDLT-TV (NBC), Sioux Falls, SD, 9 am-9:30 am   -- WRLH-TV (FOX), Richmond, VA, 10 am-10:30 am   -- KTBY-TV (FOX), Anchorage, AK, 6 am-6:30 am   -- KXD-TV (CBS), Fairbanks, AK, 5:30 am-6 am   -- KWBQ-TV (CW), Albuquerque/Sante Fe, NM, 10 am-10:30 am   -- KRCG-TV (CBS), Columbia/Jefferson City, MO, 10:30 am-11 am   -- WNCF-TV (ABC), Montgomery, AL, 9:30 am-10 am   -- KBMY-TV (ABC), Minot/Bismarck, ND, 9 am-9:30 am   -- KLKN-TV (ABC), Lincoln, NE, 10:30 am-11 am   -- WACH-TV (FOX), Columbia, SC, 11 am-11:30 am   -- WHTM-TV (ABC), Harrisburg, PA, 11 am-11:30 am   -- KXTU-TV (CW), Colorado Springs, CO, 10:30 am-11 am   -- KOCO-TV (ABC), Oklahoma City, OK, 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 124 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: Harrison, AR; Mountain Home, AR; Chino Valley, AZ; Compton, CA; Del Mar, CA; Gilroy, CA; Hayward, CA; Pasadena, CA; Petaluma, CA; Sacramento, CA; San Francisco, CA; Santa Barbara, CA; Aurora, CO; Longmont, CO; Bridgeport, CT; Hamden, CT; Hartford, CT; Madison, CT; North Haven, CT; Plainville, CT; Tampa, FL; Atlanta, GA; Douglasville, GA; Hilo, HI; Des Moines, IA; Mount Vernon, IA; Olin, IA; Muscatine, IA; Mountain Home, ID; Pocatello, ID; Aurora, IL; Batavia, IL; Bloomington, IN; Fort Wayne, IN; Lawrence, KS; Covington, KY; Highland Heights, KY; Lafayette, LA; Amherst, MA; Boston, MA; Carver, MA; Chelmsford, MA; Dracut, MA; East Longmeadow, MA; Easthampton, MA; Holden, MA; Hopkinton, MA; Lexington, MA; Lynn, MA; Marion, MA; Marshfield, MA; Sandwich, MA; Worcester, MA; Bridgton, ME; Brunswick, ME; Mexico, ME; Ann Arbor, MI; Cadillac, MI; Farmington Hills, MI; Holland, MI; Kalamazoo, MI; Lake Orion, MI; Manistee, MI; Portage, 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; Helena, MT; Columbia, MO; Vicksburg, MS; Albemarle, NC; Omaha, NE; Durham, NH; Londonderry, NH; Manchester, NH; North Conway, NH; Princeton, NJ; Albuquerque, NM; Los Alamos, NM; Taos, NM; Minden, NV; Fairport, NY; Staten Island, NY; Tivoli, NY; Webster, NY; Hudson; OH; Macedonia, OH; Norwood, OH; Oregon City, OR; Silverton, OR; Berwyn, PA; Gettysburg, PA; McMurray, PA; Reading, PA; Murfreesboro, TN; Cedar City, UT; Logan, UT; Blacksburg, VA; Bristol, VT; Hyde Park, VT; Manchester Center, VT; Middlebury, VT; White River Junction, VT; Bainbridge Island, WA; Bremerton, WA; Kent, WA; Longview, WA; Port Townsend, WA; Seattle, WA; Toppenish, WA; Janesville, WI; River Falls, 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/

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:
http://www.phrma.org
http://www.pparx.org

Source: Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America

CONTACT: Kate Michael of PhRMA, +1-202-835-3460

Web Site: http://sharingmiracles.com/

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Profile: International Entertainment