Correction Appended  LOS ANGELES, June 6— Nancy Reagan once
said, ''My life really began when I met Ronnie,'' and she often
played the role of adoring wife and political spouse. But as
Ronald Reagan weakened over the years at their Bel-Air home and
he saw almost no one except a live-in nurse and his wife, Mrs.
Reagan seemed to grow stronger.  On the one hand, Mrs. Reagan
was physically drained and sometimes despondent over the fact
that, as she told friends, her husband no longer recognized her
because of Alzheimer's disease.  On the other hand, Mrs. Reagan,
whose early White House years were marked by her interests in
designer clothes and social events, turned into nothing less
than an advocate for Alzheimer's causes and stem-cell research.
Supporters say such research could aid the fight against
Alzheimer's, diabetes, Parkinson's disease, spinal cord injuries
and other serious health problems. The Bush administration has
limited how government money can be spent on embryonic stem-cell
research because it in