Ileana Ros-Lehtinen: “I would like to call your attention to an extraordinary young woman from South Florida, Arielle Chikovsky. As a young…”

“I would like to call your attention to an extraordinary young woman from South Florida, Arielle Chikovsky. As a young girl, Arielle learned that she suffered from Ushers Syndrome, a genetic disease which causes the hearing-impaired to lose their eyesight. Yet Arielle has not let her condition detract her from her daily life. Remarkably, last year, at the age of 22, Arielle graduated from law school. Arielle is a finalist in the American Eagle Live Your Life Essay Contest. If named the winner, she plans to donate the $25,000 reward to Hope for Vision. Hope for Vision is a nonprofit organization dedicated to discovering treatments and cures for retinal degenerative diseases. I congratulate Arielle, who sets an example for everyone she encounters, and I support Hope for Vision and its leader, Isaac Lidsky, for their efforts to find a cure for this disease. ____________________”