[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 61 (Thursday, April 17, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E643-E644]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                IN HONOR OF GERRET AND TATIANA COPELAND

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MICHAEL N. CASTLE

                              of delaware

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 17, 2008

  Mr. CASTLE. Madam Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise 
today to recognize Mr. and Mrs. Gerret and Tatiana Copeland for their 
momentous gift to Christiana Care Health System's Center for Heart and 
Vascular Health. The Copelands' gift will enable Christiana Care to 
purchase a Stereotaxis remote navigation system that can more 
effectively target problem areas in the heart while still preserving 
healthy tissue, thereby providing the people of Delaware with the best 
treatment available for a potentially fatal disorder.
  Stereotaxis is used to treat Atrial Fibrillation, a common heart 
condition that occurs when the heart rhythm becomes irregular, possibly 
leading to blood clots and eventual stroke. The current procedure--
which involves inserting a catheter through the artery, identifying the 
areas of the heart that trigger the irregular heartbeat, and destroying 
those areas--puts healthy tissue in the heart at risk, is time 
consuming, and has only a 50 percent success rate. The Stereotaxis 
equipment, which will be housed in a new surgical suite named for 
Gerret and Tatiana, uses computer technology to create three-
dimensional images of the heart and veins, allowing the cardiologist to 
direct a magnetic catheter with greater precision and less chance of 
damaging the patient's heart. These features should increase procedure 
success rates to as high as 90 percent. In addition, the Stereotaxis 
procedure is shorter than the traditional procedure; thus, the patient 
should require less sedation, less post-surgery medication, and recover 
at a taster rate. This type of cutting-edge equipment is available in 
only 100 hospitals worldwide.
  The Copelands are no strangers to philanthropy: they have been 
generously supporting various causes in Delaware for many years, most 
notably the arts. Their gift to Christiana Care, however, is very 
personal. In 2006, following a cardiac catheterization, Gerret 
underwent heart bypass surgery to treat blockage in six of his 
arteries. Due to the extraordinary skill of the dedicated team of 
doctors at Christiana Care, Gerret has since made a full recovery. He 
and Tatiana hope that their donation will help others benefit from the 
same exceptional care.

[[Page E644]]

  I thank and acknowledge Gerret and Tatiana Copeland for their 
commitment to aiding the fight against heart disease. Their gift grants 
Delaware residents access to the latest technology used to treat life-
threatening heart problems, undeniably bettering countless lives and 
transforming cardiac care for the people of Delaware.

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