Political Quotes

“Thank you, Chairman Pallone, for your consideration. Thank you to the Energy and Commerce Committee--Mr. Waxman and Mr. Gingrey--for granting us this time to honor Dr. Robert M. Campbell. Thank you to all of the Members. In the last few days, we have added more than 100 cosponsors to this legislation now, which is really remarkable in only a few days. I had a chance to talk to so many of our colleagues about Dr. Campbell's story, and they wanted to join us in honoring him. Mr. Speaker, Dr. Robert M. Campbell has dedicated his life to providing children with life-saving medical care. I first learned about Dr. Campbell's work when a little boy in my district named Devin Alfonso was given a terminal diagnosis of severe scoliosis. His spine and ribs were so severely bent that there was no room for his lungs and heart to grow. For some time, the technology had existed to help adult patients with serious skeletal conditions. However, as Devin's family had to learn the hard way, the life-saving medical devices used in adult care are not fit for the small bodies of children. So often, these medical devices are simply far too big for children who are suffering from either scoliosis, Thoracic Insufficiency Syndrome, or similar conditions. Even if miniature versions of these devices were created, a growing child's body would mean that the device would quickly become too small and would require more invasive surgery.…”