[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 13 (Monday, January 23, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S1299]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                  ON THE LIFE OF MARIYAMA DOROTHY COLE

  Mr. DODD. Mr. President, it is my great pleasure to take this 
opportunity to remark on the life of Mariyama Dorothy Cole, who passed 
away this month.
  Mariyama, a resident of Windsor, was an inspiration and joy to her 
family and friends. She was Marie to all who knew her. Marie was a girl 
of unique and distinctive beauty, but it was her inner strength and 
serenity that were most remarkable.
  To understand what made Marie a person so deserving of recognition 
one must know the awesome changes Marie helped inspire and the 
incredible perserverance she demonstrated on a daily basis.
  Today, because of Marie, children in the State of Connecticut who 
have complex health care needs of disabilities are better able to live 
at home with their families. Mariyama and her family challenged 
existing policies that were contrary to family unification. She was 
instrumental in the passage of several pieces of legislation that will 
foster better services for families and children. She was the first 
child with special needs to attend totally inclusive classes in her 
hometown high school.
  Throughout her 18 years of life, Marie gave more love and educated 
more people than most individuals do in two lifetimes. Mariyama's 
determination was mighty; her courage and fortitude fierce; her 
presence impossible to ignore. She asked for nothing and yet taught her 
family and friends how to give and share with others the love that 
overflowed from her.
  Marie has left an indelible mark on my State. Thousands of children 
have already benefitted from Marie's life, and many more will benefit 
from her legacy.

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