Reverence for the Animal Kingdom

Dr. Dan Hays appeared in the Times recently (April 24) supporting the vital importance of vivisection in medical research.

I first met Hays on May 20, 1964, when I was 2 days old. He performed emergency surgery to reconstruct my esophagus. After the operation, my chances of surviving were 50%. Without the operation, I would have starved to death.

Medical techniques developed through animal research have saved millions of lives, including mine. With advances being made in the study of cancer, diabetes and heart disease, medical research holds the potential for saving millions more.

JOHN D. LIECHTY

Newport Beach