[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 148 (Wednesday, November 30, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: November 30, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                  IN RECOGNITION OF CANCER-CURED KIDS

                                 ______


                         HON. GARY L. ACKERMAN

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 29, 1994

  Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to share with my colleagues 
in the House of Representatives the story of a revolutionary 
organization that has formed on Long Island. While most people would 
rather not discuss this sensitive issue, the group I speak of, Cancer-
Cured Kids, dedicates itself to heightening awareness of and improving 
the quality of life of the child who survives cancer.
  One out of every 330 children in the United States will develop 
cancer before the age of 19. What is more startling than this statistic 
is that thanks to medical research, 70 percent of these children will 
survive for more than 5 years, and the numbers continue to improve.
  With such a high survival rate, a great problem becomes evident: who 
will assist these children in their return to normalcy? Their return is 
complicated by the fear and ignorance of those with whom surviving 
children come into contact, including their own families and educators. 
These children have valid fears: will their cancer reoccur? Will their 
friends visit them? Will they be able to catch up with school work? In 
more extreme cases, the loss of a limb, hair loss, or other physical 
changes can be even more problematic.
  The parents and teachers of a cancer-cured child face their own 
difficulties. Providing appropriate discipline, while nurturing healthy 
development of a child who was almost lost is arduous, and little in 
expert advice is available. According to the charter of the National 
Coalition for Cancer Survivorship, survival is a challenging human 
experience. It involves not only the individual, but their family and 
the givers of care.
  The goal and founding principle of Cancer-Cured Kids is to help these 
children, their families, friends, and those who provide medical and 
educational services by providing educational materials and programs 
that address these and other emotional issues. The founders of this 
not-for-profit organization, Jamie Reich, M.S. and Dr. Michael Elice, 
pediatrician, are developing a series of video programs, entitled 
``Stand By Me--The Child with Cancer at Home and at School.'' These 
videos are targeted to the people who provide care for the cancer-cured 
kids, the children themselves, as well as their peers. The programs 
will show positive approaches to help cancer-cured children attain a 
new normalcy, and to realize their full potential, regardless of 
limitations that may have resulted from the disease. In addition to the 
video programs, curriculum that can be adapted in a variety of formats 
is being developed for classroom use, as well as by families.
  Dr. Elice and Ms. Reich believe their efforts can improve the quality 
of life of thousands of children and those who come in contact with 
them. They have traveled around the country presenting their project to 
the American Cancer Society, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the National 
Childhood Cancer Foundation, the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, 
Gilda's Club, Cancer Care, Inc., and the Ronald McDonald House, to name 
just a few. They have received the unequivocal support of these 
organizations and medical institutions nationwide. I, too, believe that 
the benefits of this program are extraordinary. This frontier has 
waited too long to be explored, and is deserving of our support.
  Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege and distinct pleasure to bring 
Cancer-Cured Kids to the attention of my colleagues, and hope they will 
join me in supporting the valiant efforts of Ms. Reich and Dr. Elice 
for heightening our awareness of this issue, as well as for their 
demonstrated dedication to the cancer-cured children of America.

                          ____________________