[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 133 (Tuesday, September 24, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Page S11130]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             BRAIN INJURY ASSOCIATION PERFORMING GREAT WORK

  Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, traumatic brain injury is a silent epidemic 
which afflicts one person in the United States every 15 seconds. Nearly 
250,000 Americans suffer severe head injuries; and brain injury is the 
No. 1 killer of young Americans under the age of 40. More than 20 
million Americans are affected one way or another by brain injury, with 
an estimated 60,000 deaths expected this year alone.
  The Brain Injury Association, Inc., chaired by Martin B. Foil, Jr., 
of Concord, NC, was instrumental in the passage of the Traumatic Brain 
Injury Act which was signed into law on July 29, 1996. Mr. Foil, and 
his wife, ``Puddin,'' have worked tirelessly over the past 5 years to 
help pass this important legislation. The Foils' son, Philip, was 
injured in a car accident and suffered serious brain injury. The Foils 
turned that personal tragedy into a triumph for others. The Traumatic 
Brain Injury Act has focused a national spotlight on brain injury as a 
major health problem, and provides research grants for the prevention, 
treatment, and rehabilitation of brain injury.
  Mr. President, brain injury in the United States costs an estimated 
$48.6 billion annually. Most of this expense is paid for by taxpayers 
through Medicare and Medicaid. It is hoped--and that is what the 
Traumatic Brain Injury Act is all about, providing hope--it is hoped 
that funds from the Traumatic Brain Injury Act will lead to innovative 
treatments which will help victims and their families better deal with 
this devastating injury.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that a Charlotte (NC) Observer 
article regarding the Foil family dated August 4, 1996, be printed in 
the Record at the conclusion of my remarks.
  There being no objection, the article was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

              [From the Charlotte Observer, Aug. 4, 1996]

 Concord Teen's Brain Injury Led Parents To Fight For More Prevention 
                              and Research

                             (By John Monk)

       Between the grim aftermath of the crash of TWA Flight 800 
     and the attention riveted on Atlanta's Olympics, it passed 
     almost unnoticed. But Martin Foil, wife ``Puddin'' and son 
     Philip of Concord pulled off their own Olympian feat last 
     week.
       President Clinton invited the family to the White House as 
     he signed a bill aimed at preventing and researching 
     traumatic brain injuries. For the Foils, the signing in the 
     Oval Office culminated two long struggles: their 12-year-old 
     battle with a brutal accident that left their son disabled, 
     and their fight to find treatment for similar injuries.
       ``We've been working on this 5 years,'' said Foil, 63, CEO 
     of Tuscarora Yarns, Inc. in Mount Pleasant, NC, and chairman 
     of the Washington-based Brain Injury Association.
       The bill authorizes $15 million in research grants for the 
     prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of brain injuries. 
     It allots an additional $9 million for the Centers for 
     Disease Control to monitor brain injuries.
       The Foils' struggle began more than a decade ago.
       In December 1984, Philip Foil was driving home from Concord 
     High School. At 16, he was a bright, well-liked student who 
     tutored colleagues in algebra and wanted to be a doctor. A 
     car crossed a center line and slammed into Philip's car. In 
     an instant Philip suffered severe head injuries. For 114 
     days, he lay in a coma. He woke to a life where, because his 
     brain can't signal his body, he would need rehabilitation and 
     care the rest of his life.
       The Foils discovered that many people with traumatic brain 
     injuries fall through the cracks of the nation's medical 
     system. Brain injuries are not always formally recognized. 
     Families who must care for the victims undergo enormous 
     stress.
       ``Many people have been denied benefits from government 
     programs, from insurance companies, as a result,'' said Dr. 
     George Zitnay, president of the Brain Injury Association.
       In the first years following Philip's accident, the Foils 
     concerned themselves with his rehabilitation. He has made 
     enormous progress, now able to walk with assistance and talk 
     with the help of a vocalizing machine.
       These days, there are tens of thousands of people like 
     Philip. Modern medical treatment means many more people than 
     ever survive brain injuries. No one has exact statistics on 
     the number of brain-injured people. But the association 
     estimates that up to 56,000 Americans die and more than 
     300,000 are hospitalized each year. Of the hospitalized, 
     nearly 100,000 will sustain lifelong disabling conditions 
     from sports, gunshot, and traffic accidents.
       Most people who survive brain injuries are likely to live 
     out their normal life span in a handicapped condition, and 
     the cost is prohibitive.
       ``The average cost for a debilitating brain injury is $6 
     million or more,'' said Foil.
       For years, Foil said, his grief over his son's injury kept 
     him from getting involved in efforts to help publicize brain 
     injuries. Gradually, he reached outward and contacted the 
     association.
       In 1992, when Foil became chairman, he gave top priority to 
     passing legislation to research and prevent brain injuries.
       Thousands of groups and lobbyists try each year to get 
     legislators to introduce bills, but only a small percentage 
     wind up as law.
       Luck intervened.
       Representative Jim Greenwood, R-Pa., was elected to the 
     U.S. House of Representatives in 1992. As a state senator, 
     Greenwood had won reforms for brain-injured victims.
       Once in Washington, Greenwood was assigned to the House 
     Commerce Committee, where any brain-injury legislation would 
     originate. He became an expert in health care and won GOP 
     leadership backing for a bill involving about $8 million a 
     year for three years, a tiny sliver of the $1 trillion-a-year 
     Federal budget.
       Meanwhile, Foil's group won allies in the Senate, including 
     Sens. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., and Nancy Kassebaum, R-Kan. In 
     July, Congress passed the bill that Clinton signed last week.
       The Foils' battle is not over.
       Their son, Philip, lives at home and will always need care. 
     His parents are thankful he's a vital part of the family.
       Congress may take a second action. Clinton signed an 
     authorization bill--a law that allows money to be spent for a 
     specific purpose. Now, Congress must pass an appropriations 
     bill, which will actually permit the money to be spent.
       ``We'll get the money,'' said Foil. ``Congress would be 
     ashamed not to give it to us.''

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