[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 31 (Wednesday, March 12, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H930-H931]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      MARGIE JANOVICH'S SACRIFICE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Duncan). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentleman from Nebraska [Mr. Christensen] is recognized for 
5 minutes.
  Mr. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, today in Omaha, NE, we had a funeral 
for a young lady that has meant a lot to me over the last 2 years. Her 
name was Margie Janovich. Margie was an inspiration, I think, not only 
to Omaha, but after people hear about her story, will be an inspiration 
to every family in this country.
  Margie was diagnosed about 2 years ago with thyroid cancer, and she 
was 5 months pregnant at the time she was diagnosed with thyroid 
cancer. She was a strong, committed believer of the right of the unborn 
child. Margie felt compelled to forego the treatments on her thyroid 
and to forego the chemotherapy until her baby was born 4 months later.
  Margie already had 8 children: Nick, 21; Tina, 19; Terri, 17; Jim, 
16; Mike, 12; Joe, 9; Dan, 7 years old; and Andy, 3. So they had a 
wonderful family and Margie thought that she could not bring herself to 
endanger her unborn child. So she forewent the chemotherapy and 
delivered little baby Mary safely.
  During those 4 months that she decided not to go through treatments, 
the cancer spread. It spread to her lungs and it spread on into the 
rest of her body. For the last 20 months Margie has fought cancer, and 
it took her life Sunday night and we buried her today.
  During those last 20 months, I have had an opportunity to spend a lot 
of time with her. I have gone over to her house several times, had 
pizza delivered a couple of times, and every time I was over there 
Margie always had the greatest attitude. She never once was concerned 
about her own self. It was, how are you doing, what is going on in 
Congress, are you going to get that partial birth abortion bill through 
this year. She was very, very, very sick, but she always was concerned 
about other people.
  During the last 20 months she home schooled three of her children. 
Neighbors surrounded them, took a lot of food over and tried to help 
out however they could. Ron was always there, a tremendous husband. But 
this is a story about the quality of life and the respect for life for 
this little child, Mary Beth Janovich.

[[Page H931]]

  Mary Beth is only 15 months old, but someday, when she is old enough 
to understand the sacrifice that her mother gave, it will be quite a 
story that Ron will be able to sit down and tell her about.
  Mr. Speaker, I think about next week or the week following when we 
start debating the partial birth abortion again, and 10 days ago in the 
hospital I told Margie that we would pass the partial birth abortion 
bill and that we would get it through the Senate and, with God's help, 
we would override a veto this year. Because I believe that probably the 
most important thing that we can do for Margie, for the Janovich 
family, is to pass a bill that respects life, that respects the unborn 
child, that gives hope and opportunity to every unborn child.
  Mr. Speaker, as I think about the President's dilemma, as he was 
presented so much false evidence last time by the pro-abortion lobby, I 
would hope and I would pray that our President would think seriously 
again about this legislation; that when it comes before him this year 
that he would think about the Janoviches, that he think about the 
sacrifice that Margie Janovich gave and made for her child.
  Life is precious. As he talked last week during his speech on the 
cloning issue, talking about that an embryo has a soul, well, Mr. 
Speaker, I would hearken to advise the President that, yes, an embryo 
has a soul and that embryo is an unborn child only 9 months later.
  So Margie was a tremendous inspiration to me, Ron and the kids. I 
want to thank them for everything that they have done because it has 
been a story that has touched every life in Omaha, NE, in the Midwest, 
and I believe that as America finds out about Margie Janovich, we will 
once again turn our hearts towards the value of life and the value of 
the unborn child. May God bless her.

                          ____________________