National Spina Bifida Awareness Month

Floor Speech

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Mr. TONKO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize October as National Spina Bifida Awareness Month, and to pay tribute to my constituents with Spina Bifida and their loved ones.

In the past I have been honored to have the opportunity to attend the Spina Bifida Walk and Roll as well as the Spina Bifida Dare to Dream Gala which are both held by the Spina Bifida Association (SBA) of Northeastern New York. During these special events SBA raised funds for research, brought awareness to the public, and told the stories of those in our community with this disease.

There are currently an estimated 166,000 individuals in the United States living with Spina Bifida. According to the CDC, each year approximately 1,400 babies born in the United States have Spina Bifida. While there is no known cause, we know that taking folic acid before and during the first three months of pregnancy helps reduce the incidence of Spina Bifida.

I am so impressed with the breakthroughs in research that have helped to give those living with this disease a more fulfilling life. Thanks to the work of organizations like SBA, new medical treatments and technologies have been developed that allow most people with Spina Bifida to live a normal life span, ensuring they can have a full career, get married, and start a family--no different than those without this disease.

I look forward to working with my colleagues in the House of Representatives to ensure that organizations like the Spina Bifida Association continue to receive the funding and support they have earned. I also will continue to support federal research funding for better understanding the condition, the cause, and treatments. I hope that together we can continue to raise awareness.

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