“What he’s done is nothing short of amazing.”

That’s how Lewiston Middle School student Conroy LeBlond describes Travis Roy and the example he sets for all of us.

Roy, who grew up in Yarmouth, was a talented Division I hockey player. In 1995, seconds into his first game for Boston University, he hit the boards awkwardly. The crash left him paralyzed from the waist down.

On Friday, Roy visited with students in Lewiston and Auburn, delivering a message of perseverance and hope. But Roy’s work doesn’t stop with reaching out to children. The Travis Roy Foundation, established in 1997, has handed out $1.3 million in grants to researchers and rehabilitation projects focusing on spinal cord injuries.

What the federal government has done, however, is nothing short of dereliction of duty.

Roy’s foundation is stepping in where the Congress and the president have failed. As it stands, the federal government is prohibited from funding embryonic stem cell research, a area of study which holds the potential for fighting an array of serious injuries and diseases.

The president forbids federal funding for embryonic stem cell research, except for a small number of existing lines. The restrictions have greatly limited research on the restorative potential many scientists believe stem cells could provide.

The biggest objection to federal support for stem cell research has been that an embryo is destroyed in the process. A new technique, which is described in the online edition of Nature magazine, could allow for the collection of stem cells without destroying the embryo.

The debate on stem cell research has already started to shift. In July, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist changed his position on financing stem cell research, and he now opposes the restrictions placed on funding.

“I also strongly believe – as do countless other scientists, clinicians, and doctors – that embryonic stem cells uniquely hold specific promise for some therapies and potential cures that adult stem cells cannot provide,” Frist said July 29 on the Senate floor.

Research into the curative and rehabilitative potential of embryonic stem cells is still in its infancy. Without large-scale federal support and acceptance, the road to understanding what’s possible will be more difficult to travel.

Oct. 20 is the 10th anniversary of Roy’s injury. He has built an inspiring life that’s touched countless individuals through his foundation, appearances, writing and positive attitude. Maybe stem cell research can unlock a treatment for his injury. Maybe it won’t. Either way, the federal government should help provide the funding to find out.