[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 105 (Wednesday, September 8, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Page S8958]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              THE BENIGNO FAMILY AND BRAIN INJURY RESEARCH

  Mr. CORZINE. Madam President, I rise today to pay tribute to the 
Benigno family of Clifton, NJ, for their tireless efforts to advance 
the cause of brain injury research.
  Nearly 20 years ago, Dennis and Rosalind Benigno's 15-year-old son, 
Dennis John, was struck by a car while walking home from a football 
physical. Dennis John suffered severe, long-term brain injuries in the 
accident. Now 34, Dennis John cannot walk or talk. He communicates with 
his eyes and laughter, and seems to understand when his parents talk to 
him. Dennis and Rosalind have made a life of caring for their injured 
son.
  Their personal tragedy, however, is not the end of the story. Mr. 
Benigno has turned tragedy into action. He has been a passionate 
advocate on behalf of his son raising awareness and promoting research 
efforts that offer the prospect of a cure for traumatic brain injury. 
The Benignos founded the Coalition for Brain Injury Research, which has 
donated more than $125,000 in the past 2 years to the study of brain 
cell repair. They raise funds through walkathons and a lectures series, 
and Mr. Benigno has traveled throughout the country for research 
dollars.
  Mr. Benigno has also turned to his elected representatives in New 
Jersey and Washington, DC. His efforts have led to the creation of the 
Congressional Brain Injury Task Force, cochaired by my good friend 
Congressman Bill Pascrell. For the last 6 years, Mr. Benigno has also 
lobbied local, State, and Federal legislators to support legislation 
that would create a dedicated source of funding for medical research 
into traumatic brain injuries.
  His work has begun to pay off. On January 2 of this year, Governor 
McGeevy signed the Brain Injury Research Act into law. With this 
legislation, New Jersey becomes the first State in the Nation to create 
a funding stream for researchers devising treatments and cures for 
brain injuries. The act is expected to raise more than $3 million a 
year for brain injury research from a $1 surcharge on motor vehicle 
penalties.
  Dennis John is one of more than 5.3 million Americans who currently 
suffer disabilities from brain injury, according to the Centers for 
Disease Control, CDC. Every year, 200,000 people sustain brain 
injuries, a number that exceeds the incidence of HIV/AIDS and breast 
cancer. Right now, there is no cure. In fact, brain injuries are the 
only catastrophic illness for which scientists have yet to readily 
identify a cure as their research goal. The Brain Injury Research Act, 
finally, offers hope to the hundreds of thousands who suffer from brain 
injuries that an effective therapy may be in sight.
  While religious authorities, ethics scholars, and we here in the 
halls of government continue to debate the implications of stem and 
fetal cell research, the Benigno's remain focused on one thing--
supporting the research efforts that may find a cure for their son and 
others like him. As we make decisions that have the power to spark or 
extinguish the hopes of millions that the cures they pray for may be 
found, we should keep the Benignos in mind.
  One point is very clear--this new law and the hope it nurtures are a 
credit to Mr. Benigno's dedication, courage, and perseverance. He is an 
inspiration to all of us, and a testament to what one determined 
citizen can achieve in our democracy.

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