Supporting Efforts to Increase Childhood Cancer Awareness, Treatment, and Research
SUPPORTING EFFORTS TO INCREASE CHILDHOOD CANCER AWARENESS, TREATMENT, AND RESEARCH
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Mr. McCAUL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of this resolution to fight childhood cancer. I would like to especially thank Congresswoman Pryce for her leadership and strong dedication to this issue, which I can't think of any issue more important than this one.
My father died from this disease, but no parent should ever have to bury a child. As the father of five, I wake up every morning thanking God for the health and happiness of my children. Not all parents are as fortunate.
Unfortunately, cancer is the number one killer of children in this country today, and it destroys not only these innocent victims, but their families as well.
In too many cases, the moms, the dads, the sisters and brothers of children with cancer must stand by a hospital bed and watch helplessly as this horrible disease consumes the life of an innocent child.
Two of my constituents, Tim and Donna Culliver, lost their son Adam to childhood cancer. Faced with the loss no parent could put into words and a lifetime of pain they will feel forever in their hearts, they bravely have chosen to honor Adam by leading the fight to cure childhood cancer and by courageously working to ensure that no other mom or dad has to suffer as they did. And we should help them.
We can and must increase the funding for childhood cancer research. Underfunding this cancer research delays the goal of finding a cure for children like Adam Culliver. This is an investment we cannot afford to pass up. Unlike many of the investments that we make here in the Congress, this one will actually save the lives of innocent children.
Every day we do get closer to a cure. Three out of four children who are diagnosed with cancer will survive the disease, but that is not good enough. The loss of one child to this disease is too much.
Congresswoman Pryce and I have introduced legislation called the Conquer Childhood Cancer Research Act, which provides for $100 million in desperately needed grants for childhood cancer research, and I urge all my colleagues to show their support for this important bill.
I spent the last 2 days with the families whose children have been afflicted by this terrible disease. They gave me a baseball bat that was signed by children at MD Anderson Hospital in Houston. The fortunate thing is that some of the children who signed that bat are survivors. The unfortunate thing is some of the children who signed that bat no longer are alive.
I want to take that bat and get our bill passed through the Congress, and, once and for all, defeat childhood cancer.
Many of my colleagues' offices will be visited today by the families who have suffered through this nightmare. I urge them to listen to the compelling stories the families have to tell and imagine how you would feel if you were in their place, and find the compassion in your hearts to help. This is an issue that no Member of Congress should say no to.
I ask you to fight for these families so no more families will have to suffer again.
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