[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 36 (Monday, March 22, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E416-E417]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        ``A RUN FOR THEIR SON''

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BARNEY FRANK

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, March 22, 2004

   Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, we talk here often about 
family values, with good reason, because defending the family is one of 
the most important parts of our job. One way to do that is to give 
truly inspirational examples of how families have pulled together, 
especially in those very difficult, tragic times when awful events 
befall good people.
  One such inspirational example was recently chronicled in the New 
Bedford Standard Times, describing the determination of Elsie and Tony 
Souza, of New Bedford to compete in a marathon to honor the memory of 
their son Christopher, who was tragically taken from them ten years ago 
at the age of twenty-six. I had the privilege of knowing Christopher, 
as I have the privilege of knowing and working with Tony and Elsie 
Souza. Tony is the Executive Director of the Waterfront Historic Area 
League, an extremely important, innovative and effective organization 
working to advance the cultural and--therefore--economic--fortunes of 
New Bedford. Elsie has been since 1993 the Deputy Director of my 
Massachusetts operation, based in my New Bedford office.
  This excellent article by Don Cuddy in the New Bedford Standard Times 
gives a sense of these wonderful people and of the extent to which they 
truly exemplify family values, and I ask that the article be printed 
here.

          [From the New Bedford Standard Times, Mar. 19, 2004]

                          A Run for Their Son

                             (By Don Cuddy)

       New Bedford.--``Tony! It's a quarter to five.'' Tony took 
     an eight count.
       It was another black, freezing, January morning and the 
     mercury was not moving. Neither was the city. There were no 
     cars on Route 18, the waterfront was deserted and the shops 
     on Union Street had been locked down and abandoned.
       The cobbled streets of the historic district were deathly 
     still until the door on Center Street creaked open. Just as 
     they had for months, two shadowy figures emerged from within 
     and began to run silently through the darkness.
       Up the hill to frigid Buttonwood Park they labored side by 
     side, then around to Hawthorne Street onto Slocum Road and 
     back downtown as the first streaks of light became visible in 
     the eastern sky.
       Beginning with a promise in the fall and undeterred by the 
     worst winter in years, Tony and Elsie Souza have held 
     faithfully to their training program as they move ever closer 
     to their goal of completing this year's New Bedford Half-
     Marathon.
       There will be some mixed emotions when they step to the 
     starting line Sunday and take their places with the other 
     runners. This year marks the 10th anniversary of their only 
     son's passing. The need arose to find something to mark the 
     occasion and it was Elsie's idea that they should run the 
     race.
       Christopher Jon Souza had a bright future until he was 
     fatally stricken with cancer at the age of 26.
       After obtaining a degree in Russian language and literature 
     from Syracuse University, he worked for Sen. Ted Kennedy in 
     Washington before moving to Boston in 1994 to complete his 
     master's degree. Always athletic, he was training for the 
     Boston Marathon in March of that year when he began to 
     experience breathing difficulties. He saw a doctor and was 
     told he had a sinus infection.
       In fact, he had a tumor in his chest, an offshoot of 
     testicular cancer. When he came home to New Bedford in July 
     at his mother's urging, he was finally given a chest x-ray. 
     Three weeks later he was in a coma. The end came in November.
       ``There was no warning at all,'' Tony said. ``After they 
     took the chest x-ray I went to the doctor's office on a 
     Saturday morning and, I'll never forget, he said `I think you 
     better sit down.' '' Within five days their son was on life-
     support. Christopher underwent chemotherapy while in a coma. 
     When he came out of it, for a very short time it appeared 
     that he might have beaten the odds. But it was not to be.
       In tribute to his memory the New Bedford couple have 
     committed to running the race and, because of their enduring 
     love for their child and of New Bedford, they have also 
     offered trophy and a cash prize in Christopher's name. The 
     first city residents, male and female, to cross the finish 
     line this year will receive the Christopher Jon Souza Award 
     and $250.
       ``Chris loved sports and he was a great runner, so last 
     fall I just decided that I was going to run it,'' Elsie said. 
     ``To convince Tony. I said, `We're going to do this for 
     Chris.' So every day I get up at 4 a.m. and read the paper 
     before we go. He hopes there's a snowstorm outside and prays 
     that I'll go back to bed.''
       Tony laughed. ``She has all her clothes laid out the night 
     before, too,'' he said.
       ``I used to run. I ran the Ocean State Marathon, and in '91 
     I did the Marine Corps Marathon in D.C. with Chris. I was 48 
     and he was 24. He was very competitive, just like Elsie. She 
     won't let me pass her.
       ``But after he died I just quit. Before he passed I 
     promised Chris I'd get back and it's been 10 years, so I was 
     saying to myself: `I guess you broke your promise.' I'd put 
     on so much weight but I went on a diet and now I've lost 27 
     pounds. It wasn't easy. I got frostbite on my legs and hands 
     in January and it's just healing up now. We've been through 
     everything but last Saturday we did 10 miles. We're ready.''
       For Elsie it was even tougher. She had never been a runner 
     and suffered bouts of asthma as a child that confined her to 
     bed much of the winter, but they never contemplated quitting. 
     Their loss has strengthened them. They have stayed together 
     through the training and intend to do the same on Sunday.
       Once they had committed to entering the race, the idea of 
     adding the award came naturally.
       ``As parents, losing an only child has been very 
     difficult.'' Tony said. ``We've forged on, I think bravely, 
     but they are always with you and you don't want them to go 
     away, so anything we can do to memorialize him we do.''
       The Souzas have also established a scholarship fund in 
     their son's memory.
       ``We love New Bedford and we believe that this race 
     exemplifies all the good things about this community,'' Elsie 
     said. ``The people who put it together are doing it against 
     all odds.''
       In recognition of that the Souzas decided to make their own 
     contribution.
       ``People here work so hard to try to make things better and 
     we suffer so needlessly from a bad reputation,'' Tony said. 
     ``When you see all these runners coming down here it shows we 
     are doing something right.''
       Tony and Elsie Souza have already endured the greatest lose 
     a parent can. Nevertheless the race poses a challenge in and 
     of itself.
       ``We're not fast but we'll do it'' Tony said, looking at 
     his wife for confirmation. Elsie had her own concerns.
       ``My biggest challenge right now is deciding what I am 
     going to wear! Only a woman would understand that.''

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