• March 25, 1991
• Vol. 35
• No. 11

Mail

The readers who were most grateful for our story on Richard and Jeramie Dreyfuss and their fight against lupus (PEOPLE, March 4) were other lupus sufferers. They feel the public—including people who might be helped by early detection of the illness—has been largely unaware of the disease.

RICHARD & JERAMIE DREYFUSS
Jeramie Dreyfuss mentioned that when she was diagnosed, the literature said lupus patients had "a life expectancy of about five years." We want people to know that this is no longer true. People with lupus can look forward to relatively normal life spans, thanks to current methods of therapy. The key to a normal life is early detection and treatment. We're grateful to the Dreyfusses and PEOPLE-for helping to promote both.
Patricia A. Johnson
President
Lupus Foundation of America, Inc.
Rockville, Md.

As one who has suffered from this nasty disease for two years—and luckily was swiftly diagnosed—I appreciate any publicity lupus gets. Everyone knows about multiple sclerosis, but lupus, in its various forms, is more common.
Kay Anderson
Arlington Heights, Ill.

As the person who first hired Jeramie Dreyfuss as a production assistant at NBC, I can attest to her strength and perseverance. Her back pain would have felled an NFL football player, and the peritonitis would have dismayed most people, but never once did she complain. She did her job, and more, every day.
Jack Marshall
New York City

When I was 10 or 11, Richard Dreyfuss moved into my building. I managed to convince my doorman to take me up to the fourth floor to meet him. When the elevator door opened, who should be standing there but the man himself. I got so nervous that I ran up the back stairs 12 flights to my house! The next afternoon, what did I find under my door but the nicest letter I had ever received, apologizing for scaring me away and wishing me all the best in my plans to become an actress (which the doorman must have told him about). Because of the time he took to write a letter to a very embarrassed little girl, I've always fell Mr. Dreyfuss would be a terrific husband and father. How true this is.
Elizabeth Owen
New York City

JIM BAKKER
If jail has made Jim Bakker a "better man," then keep him there. He can only get better with time.
Traci Lynes
Independence, Ohio

WILLIE NELSON
Poor Willie, he doesn't trust lawyers or accountants anymore. Well, I don't trust an entertainer who takes millions of his fans' dollars in ticket sales and doesn't choose to pay taxes on that money. Don't these farmers who are "bailing him out" realize that Willie Nelson is cheating them? Just giving a few hours of his time to Farm Aid doesn't make up for the millions he failed to pay our government.
Mary Ellen Pothoven
Oskaloosa, Iowa

PICKS & PANS
I've never seen such shallow, meaningless writing. Craig Tomashoff lowered himself to the depths of childishness [in reviewing Cinderella's new LP]. Has he totally forgotten the whole reason for rock-and-roll music in the first place, or has his expanding waistline and receding hairline made him such a jaded, jealous weasel that he cant see this anymore? Remember, Craig, it's only rock and roll, but some of us like it.
Nikki Sixx
Mötley Crüe
Los Angeles

In fact, both Tomashoff's waistline and hairline arc stable.
—ED.

More From This Article

Bracelet Troubles

We have received many letters about an article on Desert Shield bracelets in our Jan. 21 issue. Some readers complained that when they placed telephone orders for the $9.95 bracelets, they were charged $100 on their credit cards. Others reported they never received the bracelets.

Last week a lawsuit alleging consumer fraud and operation of an unregistered charity was filed against Voices for Freedom, the company that made the bracelets, and its principals, Frederic, Barbara and Todd Wyatt. Also named in the suit was Phone Base Systems, Inc., which the Wyatts hired to place solicitation calls and take orders.

According to Phone Base, the $100 charge was not a debit, but a routine credit authorization—or freeze—used by telemarketing companies to protect against use of lost and stolen cards. The authorization process, says Phone Base, was discontinued on Jan. 24.

The Wyatts admit their company was improperly registered in some stales and pledge to answer every complaint and to fill every order. Readers should address their concerns to: Voices for Freedom, P.O. Box 77037, Washington, D.C. 20013.