[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 126 (Monday, September 12, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: September 12, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                          TODD ROBINER TRIBUTE

                                 ______


                          HON. BILL RICHARDSON

                             of new mexico

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, September 12, 1994

  Mr. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, our country has lost another young 
person to a disease that strikes with no rhyme or reason. Twenty-one-
year-old Todd Robiner of Royal Palm Beach, FL is one our Nation's most 
recent victims of this tragic disease.
  Leukemia knows no limits or bounds. It randomly hits the weak, the 
strong, our young and our old. This year alone an estimated 28,600 new 
cases of leukemia will be diagnosed. The disease will kill an estimated 
19,100 persons this year, about 50 each day.
  Congress is trying to address this crisis. We provide the National 
Cancer Institute with about $75 million each year for research on 
cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, and education. 
But, clearly more must be done as a cure is not yet within our reach. 
Each day that passes, we lose more of our promising and productive 
citizens.
  For a better understanding and appreciation of the pain and sorrow 
caused by leukemia, I urge my colleagues to review the following 
article written by Rev. John Mangrum which appeared in The Town-Crier 
of Wellington, FL.

                  [From the Town-Crier, Aug. 25, 1994]

                     Todd Battled Leukemia Fiercely

                         (By Rev. John Mangrum)

       On Tuesday we said our goodbyes to him, being grateful for 
     at least these 21 years of the way he lighted all our lives.
       Todd Robiner died last Saturday in Shands Memorial Hospital 
     in Gainesville. Dr. Rob and his good wife Carol did me the 
     great honor of inviting me to say some words at his funeral.
       Rabbi Steven Westman of Temple Beth Torah said the prayers 
     about him in the centuries old traditions of Israel, God's 
     chosen flock. I spoke of Todd's life, his courage, and his 
     tremendous desire to do well in all her undertook.
       It seemed only appropriate to quote from the late Welch 
     poet, Dylan Thomas, who wrote so poignantly of his own 
     father's death: ``Do not go gentle into that good night. 
     Rage, rage against the passing of the light . . .''
       Dr. Robiner and I went to the same college, Ferris State 
     University in Big Rapids, Mich. The good doctor finished his 
     basic colleges courses at Wayne State University in Detroit. 
     He served in the Army in the artillery. After discharge, he 
     attended Chiropractic school in Illinois, where he met Carol.
       Eventually, they moved here--first to Royal Palm Beach 
     where he established his practice, then to Bedford Mews in 
     Wellington.
       Their older son, Mitch graduated from the University of 
     South Florida. He was a naturally gifted athlete. There is 
     also a lovely sister named Pam.
       It was Todd who wanted more than anything to be skilled and 
     competitive. He became a fiery football player for Palm Beach 
     Lakes High School, a basketball star, and a championship 
     wrestler. He was so good that Knox College in Galesburg, Ill. 
     gave him a full football scholarship.
       When Todd arrived there, he had a fine freshman year. When 
     baseball season came around, he had a physical exam. There 
     was an early diagnosis of mononucleosis. It was not accurate. 
     Further tests revealed that he had a tough case of leukemia.
       The family brought him home, placing him in Shands Hospital 
     in the University of Florida. He fought competitively and 
     fiercely against the grim malignancy, even journeying up to 
     Johns Hopkins to undertake a grueling series of 
     chemotherapies, along with bone marrow removal, subsequent 
     treatment of it, and painful replanting.
       The whole family took turns visiting him up at Shands. 
     Unable to continue athletically, Todd enrolled at Florida in 
     music, becoming an enthusiastic bass guitarist in the famed 
     UF jazz band. We played a record of their music with a solo 
     gig by Todd as part of his memorial.
       I was crazy about Todd. The Robiners took me down one night 
     to Forest Hill High School when Todd played against the 
     Falcons. He was into that game on a rainy night, fighting 
     fairly and cleanly for every yard on the ground.
       In the tradition of his Faith, may God write him large in 
     the Book of Life. May God grant to the Robiners peace and a 
     real sense that they did everything, sacrificed everything, 
     and showed Todd they were with him right up to that last 
     moment here among us.
       The gigantic coincidence and parallel to all of this is 
     that Todd's good friend and constant companion for years out 
     here was football player and wrestler Eric Solohub, who died 
     just a few short years ago from leukemia at such an early 
     age.
       We must fight just as hard to find a cure. We must insist 
     that more money and effort will go into study and treatment 
     so that no families we love will have to endure the awful 
     rack of suffering like this.

                          ____________________