[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 126 (Thursday, August 2, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1682]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        HONORING HOPE FOR VISION

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, August 1, 2007

  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I would like to recognize an 
organization which is leading the fight against vision loss. Hope for 
Vision was founded to assist individuals dealing with the loss of 
vision, and to raise much needed funding for scientific research on 
retinal degenerative and other blinding diseases, so that future 
generations will not have to cope with this tragic issue.
  I have the distinct pleasure and honor of being involved in this 
wonderful organization, and serve as an honorary member of the Board of 
Advisors. I also am proud to call several integral members of this 
organization including the Lidsky family, my friends. I have known 
Carlos and Betty Lidsky for many years and their son, Isaac, an 
attorney here in Washington, serves as the Chairman and President of 
Hope for Vision.
  At the age of 12, Isaac was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a 
retinal degenerative disorder. However, this did not slow Isaac down. 
He attended New World School of the Arts in Miami before receiving a 
bachelor's and law degree from Harvard University. While at Harvard, he 
met his wife, Dorothy, who has become a passionate advocate for the 
vision-impaired.
  This family has been deeply impacted with degenerative retinal 
diseases and they have fought to ensure this horrible condition 
receives the proper attention and research needed to find a cure. Their 
tenacity and courage in the face of such adversity and heartbreak is 
commendable. Inspired by their dedication and hard work, we are working 
towards a cure.
  The Lidsky family has always been an outspoken advocate to raise 
awareness for issues surrounding inherited vision diseases. Vision loss 
is a problem which affects millions of Americans. More than 80 million 
Americans have a potentially blinding eye disease: 3 million have low 
vision; 1.1 million are legally blind; and an additional 200,000 are 
severely visually impaired. However, research efforts into vision loss 
and blindness have already started to pay dividends. For example, 
scientists have provided vision to the blind through microchip 
technologies, and clinical trials have started with pharmaceutical 
treatments to combat vision loss.
  Research grants provided by Hope for Vision are providing our 
scientists with much needed funding to further progress on these 
initiatives. An example of this progress is the partnership between 
Hope for Vision and the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, located at the 
University of Miami in my Congressional District. These two 
organizations have teamed up to provide the best vision care possible 
for South Floridians by advancing research and treatment capabilities 
with two new innovative programs. With the help of the Department of 
Defense, they have developed the Miami Project for Ophthalmic 
Innovation to use the remarkable military technological advances to 
bring new therapies to patients. The goal of this project is to bring 
together ideas and people from diverse backgrounds to implement 
research projects aimed at enhancing military ocular health 
capabilities. It will directly benefit our brave men and women serving 
in uniform, our veterans, as well as the millions of other Americans 
who suffer from blinding eye trauma and disease.

  Another initiative is the newly-created Center for Hereditary Retinal 
Diseases at Bascom Palmer, which owes its very existence to Hope for 
Vision. Its goal is to identify every individual in the state of 
Florida with an inherited eye disease and to provide them with genetic 
testing, counseling, and innovative treatments.
  Bascom Palmer Eye Institute is recognized as one of the world's 
finest and most progressive centers for eye care, research and 
education. This year, U.S. News & World Report's survey rated Bascom 
Palmer the Number 1 eye hospital in the country. Its dedicated staff 
provides excellent vision care to more than 200,000 patients annually 
at their facilities across South Florida.
  I am also proud to be a founding member and co-chair of the 
Congressional Vision Caucus. This organization is a bipartisan 
coalition dedicated to strengthening and stimulating a national 
dialogue and policy on vision-related problems and disabilities. Our 
responsibility is to raise awareness about the increasing number of 
Americans at risk for age-related diseases, preserve and protect 
eyesight, and ensure adequate resources are directed towards the 
research, prevention and treatment of eye disease.
  I have worked together with my colleagues in the South Florida 
Congressional delegation to ensure that Hope for Vision has the funds 
necessary to continue their work to discover treatments and cures for 
degenerative retinal diseases. As the baby boom generation reaches 
retirement age, vision loss will become an increasingly familiar issue 
for many American families.
  Once again, I would to congratulate Hope for Vision on its successes, 
and look forward to working with this organization as it continues to 
address an issue of growing importance.

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