Ileana Ros-Lehtinen: “when we think of a day in the life of a child, we may immediately think of toys, playgrounds, and laughter. Rarely, if…”

“when we think of a day in the life of a child, we may immediately think of toys, playgrounds, and laughter. Rarely, if ever, do chemotherapy, hospitalization, and blood transfusions come to mind. Yet, the harsh reality is that they will become just a routine part of the day for the well over 12,000 children who will become victims of cancer this year. Cancer is the number one killer of children, and its incidence has been rising every year for the past 20 years. Alexander Zimmerman, the 4-year-old son of my district director, is currently fighting a rare form of a brain tumor. And we cannot forget Caroline, the daughter of our colleague the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Pryce), who recently passed away from her battle with neuroblastoma. Pediatric oncology remains underrecognized and underserved, which is why Congress should fund what could be the largest children's oncology facility in the Nation, the University of Miami's Batchelor Children's Center. We believe that if Congress does its part, things like playgrounds, toys, and laughter will once again become the daily routine. We should also fund graduate medical education for pediatric hospitals, such as Miami Children's Hospital, which trains our Nation's leading pediatric oncologists. This September, as we commemorate Childhood Cancer Month, I urge my colleagues to fund efforts toward pediatric cancer research because every child's life is precious.”