Turning Compassion Into Passion

Turning Compassion Into Passion
Rep. Boozman's Column for the Week of February 7, 2005

Washington, Feb 7 - Last week, I had the pleasure of welcoming University of Arkansas Athletic Director Frank Broyles to Washington, D.C. The legendary UA football coach testified before the Health Subcommittee of the House Policy Committee during a hearing on Alzheimer's disease.

Coach Broyles testified to the committee of key Republican lawmakers because he spent the last several years as a caregiver to his wife Barbara, who suffered from Alzheimer's. Barbara Broyles passed away last October, and since then, the Coach has made it his new undertaking in life to advocate for Alzheimer's sufferers and their families.

Coach told my colleagues his personal story of how he first found out about Barbara's illness, what the family went through as caregivers and about the impact her death has had on his life. He discussed how Barbara's condition declined from the disease's onset to the end where she could no longer even remember the names of her loved ones. He brought a message to the lawmakers asking them to become as passionate about this issue as he is, saying that is how we can make progress toward a cure. Everyone in the room has compassion, he told them, but what we need is for lawmakers to turn that compassion into passion.

Coach is right. We need to attack Alzheimer's with the same passion we put toward other terminal illnesses. Alzheimer's disease is a progressive brain disorder that gradually destroys a person's memory and ability to learn, reason, make judgments, communicate and carry out even the most routine of daily activities. As Alzheimer's progresses, individuals may also experience changes in personality and behavior, such as anxiety, suspiciousness or agitation, as well as delusions or hallucinations.

Alzheimer's disease affects 4.5 million Americans and nearly half of all people 85 and older, but does not receive the attention other incurable diseases do because those who have it cannot advocate for funding and many caregivers don't speak up. There is a genuine concern that as the population ages, this will become a real epidemic unless we address it right away.

For this reason, we are planning to re-introduce the "Ronald Reagan Alzheimer's Breakthrough Act" in the 109th Congress. I was one of 80 members of the House of Representatives to cosponsor this bill in the 108th Congress and will do so again when it is reintroduced. The bill, which aims to double to $1.4 billion the Alzheimer's research funding we give to the National Institutes of Health, will receive more attention and hopefully garner more support as my colleagues and the American public hear the stories that caregivers like Coach Broyles have to tell.

Barbara and Frank had been married for 59 years, and spent most of their married lives in Fayetteville. "The First Lady of the Razorbacks" for 47 years, Barbara was known for her generous spirit and compassionate heart. She was extremely active in the community, volunteering for a number of organizations and dedicating herself to her church. She devoted herself to a number of causes, including the promotion of literacy. For more than 40 years, she worked with the Ozark Literacy Council to teach adults to read. The organization awarded her service with the creation of the Barbara Broyles Endowment Fund. Barbara was 79 when she passed away.

I know firsthand what a great motivator Coach Broyles can be. He was my coach when I played for the Razorbacks from 1969-1973 and had a great influence on my life. He is committed to helping us understand more about this illness and eventually, help lead us to a cure. His personal experience coupled with his motivational skills makes him an excellent spokesman for this cause. It is my hope that the more people learn about Frank and Barbara, the more they will understand the devastating impact this disease has on families. It is through this understanding that we can turn compassion into passion and higher funding for Alzheimer's research.

http://boozman.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=6696