'Sharing Miracles' Television Program to Feature Legendary Rapper and Popular Actor Ice-T

'Sharing Miracles' Television Program to Feature Legendary Rapper and Popular Actor Ice-T

WASHINGTON, July 1 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Grammy-winning rapper and award-winning actor Ice-T, known as the "Original Gangster," will be the subject of this month's episode of Sharing Miracles - a 30-minute public affairs television program that tells the compelling and inspirational stories of real patients. Sharing Miracles airs every Sunday morning on more than 325 television stations nationwide.

One of the most controversial pioneers of rap, Ice-T has released eight solo albums, including the groundbreaking OG: Original Gangster, and collaborated with some of the biggest names in hip-hop, hard rock and heavy metal, and punk. In 1991, he made a name for himself in film, drawing critical praise, by playing police detective Scotty Appleton in New Jack City. He has since juggled a successful acting career with his work in the music industry and now portrays police officer Odafin "Fin" Tutuola on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

With his ever-evolving career, Ice-T is known for pushing the envelope. However, as he explains in this month's episode of Sharing Miracles, he had to learn to tone down his larger-than-life personality when he was diagnosed with high blood pressure.

"After I learned I have high blood pressure, I had to slow down. I don't drink, I don't smoke. I was just overworking myself and pushing myself too hard and letting myself get frustrated," he says. "Finally, the doctor basically told me, 'You can die from this.' That's when I really had to shape up."

Despite losing both of his parents to heart attacks, Ice-T did not know that he was at a high risk for heart disease. In fact, he received his diagnosis only when he went to the doctor for an unrelated problem.

That's why he works hard to spread the word to others about the importance of seeing a doctor: "The truth is that anyone who has a history of heart disease in their family should be having regular check-ups. You need to have check-ups continuously to be safe."

In fact, he points out, seeing a doctor regularly is really the only way to know whether you may have high blood pressure: "The trouble with high blood pressure is that you may not know you have it. It absolutely can go undetected. It's not something that you feel, it's not a normal sickness, it's not an ache, it's not a pain. You just have high blood pressure and it can kill you."

The episode also includes interviews with Ice-T's Law & Order: Special Victims Unit co-stars Chris Meloni, who plays detective Elliot Stabler, and Dann Florek, who portrays Captain Don Cragen.

Cardiovascular disease is the number-one killer of Americans, causing a death every 37 seconds. That's why America's pharmaceutical research and biotechnology companies are committed to discovering new medicines to treat heart disease and stroke. In fact, today there are 312 potential new medicines in development for the diseases, including 16 for heart attack, 33 for heart failure, and 11 for coronary artery disease.

Speaking in the new episode about new medicines being studied for cardiovascular disease is Daiichi Sankyo scientist Dr. Michael Stein. "There's a lot of active research within universities and the pharmaceutical industry to improve the care of heart patients or to avoid the disease altogether. It's a very exciting time to work in cardiovascular research, and a very exciting time to be helping patients in defining the way that medical care will be delivered in cardiology in the future."

Upcoming episodes of Sharing Miracles will feature actor Danny Glover, who battled epilepsy; and four-time World Series champion Darryl Strawberry, who overcame colon cancer.

Previous episodes of Sharing Miracles have featured Academy Award-winning actress Marcia Gay Harden, a breast cancer advocate; Grammy Award-winning country music superstar Naomi Judd, who overcame Hepatitis C; Emmy Award-winning actor Joey Pantoliano, who suffers from clinical depression; Football Hall-of-Famer Mike Ditka, who suffers from heart disease; Super Bowl Champion and former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jerome Bettis, who has asthma; two-time NCAA tournament-winning University of Connecticut basketball coach Jim Calhoun, who has overcome cancer three times; NBA Hall-of-Famer Dominique Wilkins; Boston Red Sox star pitcher Jon Lester, who has battled leukemia; Emmy-nominated former star of Family Ties Meredith Baxter, who survived breast cancer; 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; and Pro Football Hall-of-Famer and Super Bowl Champion Len Dawson, who survived prostate cancer.

The new episode debuts July 5. 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 am
-- KEYE-TV (CBS), Austin, TX, 7:30 am-8:00 am
-- WXIN-TV (FOX), Indianapolis, IN, 11:30 am-12 noon
-- KUCW-TV (CW), Salt Lake City, UT, 7:30 am-8:00 am
-- KPDX-TV (MyTV), Portland, OR, 10 am-10:30 am
-- KVMY-TV (MyTV), Las Vegas, NV, 9 am-9:30 am
-- KWGN-TV (CW), Denver, CO, 6:30 am-7:00 am
-- KABB-TV (FOX), San Antonio, TX, 8 am-8:30 am
-- WNAB-TV (CW), Nashville, TN, 10 am-10:30 am
-- WCTX-TV (MyTV), Hartford/New Haven, CT, 9 am-9:30 am
-- WRAZ-TV (FOX), Raleigh, NC, 7:30 am-8:00 am
-- WSYX-TV (ABC), Columbus, OH, 7:30 am-8:00 am
-- WNYA-TV (MyTV), Albany, NY, 8 am-8:30 am
-- KAME-TV (MyTV), Reno, NV, 9 am-9:30 am
-- KTXL-TV (FOX), Sacramento/Stockton/Modesto, CA, 6:30 am-7 am
-- WWL-TV (CBS), New Orleans, LA, 7:30 am-8:00 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-9:00 am
-- WRLH-TV (FOX), Richmond, VA, 10 am-10:30 am
-- WNAC-TV (FOX), Providence, RI, 10:30 am-11:00 am
-- WHTM-TV (ABC), Harrisburg, PA, 11 am-11:30 am
-- WNCF-TV (ABC), Montgomery, AL, 9:30 am-10:00 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 noon
-- 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-7:00 am
-- WHBF-TV (CBS), Rock Island, IL/Davenport, IA, 10 am-10:30 am
-- KLRT-TV (FOX), Little Rock, AR, 9:30 am-10:00 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-11:00 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-11:00 am
-- KGEM-TV (NBC), Quincy, IL, 11 am-11:30 am
-- KTBY-TV (FOX), Anchorage, AK, 6 am-6:30 am

-- WSIL-TV (ABC), Carbondale, IL/Paducah, KY/Cape Girardeau, MO, 10:30
am-11:00 am.

The show also airs on 274 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; Tempe, AZ; Bath, ME; Casa Grande, AZ; Chino Valley, AZ; Anaheim, CA; Compton, CA; Coralville, CO; Del Mar, CA; Gilroy, CA; Hayward, CA; Pacifica, CA; Pasadena, CA; Petaluma, CA; San Andreas, CA; Santa Barbara, CA; Arvada, CO; Aurora, CO; Fort Collins, CO; Golden, CO; Longmont, CO; Northglenn, CO; Thornton, CO; Bridgeport, CT; East Haven, CT; Hamden, CT; Hartford, CT; Madison, CT; North Haven, CT; Plainville, CT; Simsbury, CT; Wallingford, CT; Brooksville, FL; Cape Coral, FL; Coral Springs, FL; Fort Lauderdale, FL; Fort Myers, FL; MacDill AFB, FL; Tampa, FL; Palm Coast, FL; Vero Beach, FL; Atlanta, GA; Dallas, GA; Douglasville, GA; Fort Oglethorpe, GA; Hilo, HI; Ames, IA; Des Moines, IA; Fairfield, IA; Mount Vernon, IA; Olin, IA; Muscatine, IA; Boise, ID; Coeur d'Alene, ID ; Addison, IL; Aurora, IL; Batavia, IL; Darien, IL; Galesburg, IL; Glen Ellyn, IL; Glenview, IL; Joliet, IL; Lake Forest, IL; Naperville, IL; Plainfield, IL; Romeoville, IL; Urbana, IL; Wheaton, IL; Austin, IN; Bloomington, IN; Connersville, IN; Fort Wayne, IN; Richmond, IN; Haysville, KS; Lawrence, KS; Olathe, KS; Ottawa, KS; Covington, KY; Highland Heights, KY; Louisville, KY; Bossier City, LA; Houma, LA; Lafayette, LA; Mandeville, LA; New Orleans, LA; Amherst, MA; Arlington, MA; Boston, MA; Brookline, MA; Carver, MA; Chelmsford, MA; Dracut, MA; Easthampton, MA; Foxboro, MA; Holden, MA; Hopkinton, MA; Leominster, MA; Lexington, MA; Longmeadow, MA; Lynn, MA; Marion, MA; Sandwich, MA; Wakefield, MA; Worcester, MA; Easton, MD; Greenbelt, MD; Largo, MD; Rockville, MD; Bath, ME; Boothbay Harbor, ME; 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; Monroe, 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; Independence, MO; Ste. Genevieve, MO; Hillsboro, MS; Vicksburg, MS; Great Falls, MT; Helena, MT; Albemarle, NC; Charlotte, NC; Knightdale, NC; New Bern, NC; Fargo, ND; Grand Island, NE; Hastings, NE; Lincoln, NE; Omaha, NE; Claremont, NH; Derry, NH; Durham, NH; Londonderry, NH; Manchester, NH; North Conway, NH; Wolfeboro, NH; Bloomfield, NJ; Metuchen, NJ; Pomona, NJ; Princeton, NJ; Statewide, NJ; Wayne, NJ; Albuquerque, NM; Los Alamos, NM; Santa Fe, NM; Taos, NM; Boulder City, NV; Carson City, NV; Minden, NV; Chappaqua, NY; Fairport, NY; Penfield, NY; Staten Island, NY; Tivoli, NY; Webster, NY; Athens, OH; Cincinnati, OH; Cleveland, OH; Defiance, OH; Fairborn, OH; Hudson; OH; Macedonia, OH; Medina, OH; Middletown, OH; Norwood, OH; Troy, OH; Wadsworth, OH; Perry, OK; Oregon City, OR; Silverton, OR; Ardmore, PA; Berwyn, PA; Bethel Park, PA; Gettysburg, PA; Harrisburg, PA; McMurray, PA; Moon Township, PA; Pottstown, PA; Reading, PA; Wayne, PA; York, PA; Rockhill, SC; Union, SC; Clarksville, TN; Franklin, TN; Germantown, TN; Murfreesboro, TN; Arlington, TX; College Station, TX; Denton, TX; Houston, TX; Kingsville, TX; Cedar City, UT; Logan, UT; Salt Lake City, UT; Blacksburg, VA; Herndon, VA; Norfolk, VA; Roanoke, VA; Suffolk, VA; Barre, VT; Bellow Falls, VT; Bristol, VT; Burlington, VT; Hyde Park, VT; Manchester Center, VT; Middlebury, VT; Newport, VT; Springfield, VT; Waitsfield, VT; Bainbridge Island, WA; Bremerton, WA; Ellensburg, WA; Kent, WA; Longview, WA; Port Townsend, WA; Seattle, WA; Toppenish, WA; Dodgeville, WI; Eau Claire, WI; Hartford, WI; Janesville, WI; Lake Mills, WI; Kenosha, WI; Madison, WI; Muskego, WI; New London, WI; Reedsburg, WI; River Falls, WI; Sun Prairie, WI; Superior, WI; Waterloo, WI; Wausau, WI; Whitehall, WI; Wisconsin Rapids, WI; and Summersville, WV.

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 $50.3 billion in 2008 in discovering and developing new medicines. Industry-wide research and investment reached a record $65.2 billion in 2008.

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 more information on public health emergencies, visit http://www.rxresponse.org/

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

Source: Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America

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

Web Site: http://www.phrma.org/
http://www.sharingmiracles.com/

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