[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 132 (Wednesday, September 24, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1885]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        HONORING STEPHANIE FLOOD

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. DONALD A. MANZULLO

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 24, 2003

  Mr. MANZULLO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Stephanie Flood 
of McHenry County, Illinois, in the district I am proud to represent. 
Stephanie is a remarkable 16-year old who suffered from cancer but was 
fortunate enough to have been cared for by the doctors and staff at 
Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago. When Stephanie was nine years 
old, she was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Since her initial diagnosis, 
she has undergone radiation, chemotherapy, and four separate surgeries.
  In the spring of 1997, when Stephanie was in fourth grade, she began 
having flu-like symptoms--headaches and nausea. The symptoms persisted 
for nearly three weeks. When she visited her pediatrician, he looked 
through her eyes and could see pressure on her brain. He immediately 
ordered a CAT scan of her brain, which confirmed that the pressure he 
saw was in fact a brain tumor. Her pediatrician then referred Stephanie 
and her family to Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago because he 
felt the hospital had the best neurosurgeons available.
  At Children's Memorial Hospital, Stephanie and her family met with 
Dr. Tomita and Dr. McClone who immediately planned for her surgery. At 
the time, her parents were struggling with their small business and had 
let their health insurance lapse. Dr. Tomita, however, insisted that 
Stephanie would have the best care available. They said the tumor was 
at the base of her brain stem. This extremely dangerous tumor could 
have left her blind, deaf, paralyzed or handicapped due to the tumor's 
close proximity to her nerve endings. Dr. Tomita carefully removed the 
tumor. After weeks of struggling with math due to memory loss 
associated with the brain tumor, Stephanie soon found herself getting 
straight A's in math class. She then went through six weeks of 
radiation treatments after the operation. Her radiologist, Dr. 
Marymount, skillfully administered the radiation, with Stephanie's only 
hair loss being where her incision was located.
  Unfortunately, Stephanie's tumor was an ependymoma, meaning it would 
eventually grow back. Three years later, when she was 12 years-old, 
something showed up on her routine MRI again. Dr. Tomita performed 
another surgery, but he and her Oncologist, Dr. Goldman, decided to try 
a new type of chemotherapy in an attempt to get rid of the tumor once 
and for all. The chemotherapy was called Temazolamide, and Stephanie 
was one of 17 other people ever to use it.
  Unfortunately, the tumor returned again, and Dr. Tomita suggested a 
new type of treatment, Gamma Knife radiation. Stephanie thought she 
would try this treatment which would be much easier than another brain 
surgery again. A team of doctors screwed a metal plate into her head 
with hundreds of little holes. They then sent radiation directly into 
the area where the tumor was located, hoping to shrink it.
  The Gamma Knife procedure was successful in helping shrink the tumor 
for a short period of time, but another MRI eventually showed its 
regrowth. Dr. Tomita and Dr. Goldman suggested another new type of 
treatment called Intrabeam Radiation for Stephanie, who was only the 
fourth patient in the nation to ever use it. The tumor was again 
removed by Dr. Tomita, and the remaining cancer cells where the tumor 
originated were irradiated. Thus far, it has been eight months, and 
Stephanie is extremely hopeful that this final procedure will rid her 
of the tumor permanently.
  Stephanie is extremely fortunate to be under the care of such 
wonderful doctors. She is also very proud to be part of a brand new 
study in hopes that she will help other children who suffer as she did. 
Cells from her tumor were actually taken from her tumor and are 
currently being studied at the Children's Research Center in Chicago in 
order to discover how and why the tumor continued to regrow. Without 
Children's Hospital, this incredible story would not have been 
possible.
  Mr. Speaker, I wish to extend my support to Stephanie and the many 
other children who are fighting such difficult battles. I commend 
Children's Memorial for all of the work they have done for her. I would 
also ask that we continue to work hard to support children's hospitals 
in order to save more children just like Stephanie. It is my hope that 
with continued research into new lifesaving treatments, children all 
over the country will be given the precious gift of life.

                          ____________________