[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 91 (Wednesday, June 27, 2001)]
[House]
[Page H3622]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            CONGRATULATIONS TO MARTHA DE NORFOLK OF FLORIDA

  (Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I congratulate Martha De Norfolk, a 
single mother from my congressional district who is working to found 
the Arthrogryposis Foundation to help her disabled son Bryant Amastha, 
and other local children who suffer from this rare disease.
  One in every 3,000 babies is born with this disease, which limits 
motions in their joints, usually accompanied by muscle weakness. In the 
classic case, hands, wrists, elbows, shoulders, hips, feet and knees 
are affected. In some cases, even the central nervous system. Most 
people with arthrogryposis are of normal intelligence and are able to 
lead productive lives as adults. However, if not treated through 
surgery and physical therapy, this disease can become terminal, as the 
body deforms so that internal organs cannot function properly.
  Nine-year-old Bryant recently completed his 36th operation, enabling 
him to use an electric wheelchair to move about in home and in school. 
With the help of the foundation that Bryant's mother, Martha De 
Norfolk, is working to establish, parents of these children will soon 
have the financial assistance and the support groups on which to 
depend; and local doctors will have access to education on this 
debilitating illness and its treatment.
  We congratulate Martha and Bryant and many others.

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