[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 186 (Friday, December 11, 2009)]
[House]
[Pages H14810-H14811]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      CEREAL NIGHT AND RECOGNIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF PAH AWARENESS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Langevin) is recognized for 5 minutes.


                              Cereal Night

  Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a very special 
event happening tonight in my district thanks to the efforts of a very 
special young boy and his family. This evening, the second annual 
Cereal Night will take place at North Kingstown High School in Rhode 
Island, which is where hundreds will gather to donate to our local food 
pantries.
  The mastermind behind this event is one of my young constituents, 
Patrick Gannon, an 11-year-old 5th grader and Cub Scout from North 
Kingstown. Like all Rhode Islanders, Patrick has seen the devastating 
effects of the economic downturn in our State, where unemployment has 
reached 13 percent, where record numbers of foreclosures continue to 
force people from their homes, where food pantries are struggling to 
meet the needs in their communities, and where too many of our 
neighbors are desperate for a hand.
  Well, last year, when he was only 10 years old, Patrick came up with 
a way to help. His idea was that, one night of the year, families could 
eat cereal for dinner and could donate the money or food they saved to 
a local food pantry. While encouraged by his parents, Bill and Jackie, 
he began to organize the first Cereal Night last December. Soon, 
friends, local businesses, and even our Governor were involved in 
highlighting this initiative.
  On the night before the event, though, a snowstorm hit Rhode Island, 
making it doubtful that there would be a big turnout. Nevertheless, 
Patrick was there the next day at one of the drop-off sites, running 
out to cars through the snow to accept their donations. At the end of 
the day, three tons of food were donated to the Rhode Island Food Bank, 
and plans to build on this success were put in motion.
  Like any proud mother, Jackie did her best to spread the word--
reaching out to nonprofit organizations and even writing to President 
and Mrs. Obama, telling them about Patrick's work and asking them to 
make Cereal Night a national event. Well, sadly, she won't be able to 
see those efforts come to fruition. On November 7 of this year, 2 days 
before Patrick's 11th birthday, Jackie suffered a ruptured aneurysm and 
passed away. Well, her death was a shocking and heartbreaking blow to 
her family and friends, but they have channeled their grief towards the 
cause that she was inspired to embrace by her son Patrick.

  This year, Cereal Night will be an opportunity for the community to 
come together to give something back to those in need, to celebrate 
Patrick's imagination and commitment and to honor the life of a beloved 
mother who touched all those who were lucky enough to know her.
  This holiday season, we are reminded of how important it is to help 
each other get through these tough times. We are all reminded of 
families like the Gannons, where the spirit of giving and of serving 
the community is passed down from generation to generation. We are 
reminded that you are never too young to make a difference.
  Patrick is an inspiration to me, and I encourage my colleagues and 
all those who are listening to follow his example by donating to a 
local food pantry, by starting a Cereal Night in your own community, 
and by spreading the word about this simple effort that can mean so 
much to a neighbor in need.
  My thoughts and prayers go out to Jackie's family, including Patrick, 
her husband, Bill, and their younger son, Liam, as well as her friends 
and all those who mourn her loss.


              Recognizing the Importance of PAH Awareness

  Mr. Speaker, I start a second statement, which is equally inspiring.
  I consider it a privilege to recognize and commend the extraordinary 
efforts of a young man named Matt Moniz. This 11-year-old from Boulder, 
Colorado, scaled three of the world's seven summits in order to raise 
money and awareness for his best friend, Iain Hess, who suffers from 
Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension, or PAH.
  PAH is a rare, progressive disorder characterized by abnormally high 
blood pressure in the pulmonary artery--the blood vessel that carries 
blood from the heart to the lungs. For people living with PAH, like 
Matt's friend, Iain, the simplest of daily activities can cause 
shortness of breath, dizziness, fatigue, chest pain, and swollen legs 
and ankles.
  As an experienced climber, Matt is very familiar with these symptoms, 
which can often affect climbers at high altitudes; but while Matt knows 
that he'll be fine as soon as he descends the mountain, there is no 
known cure for those who suffer from PAH. It's a life-threatening 
disease that can cost thousands of dollars a month to treat. In fact, 
Iain's medical bills run more than $100,000 a year. Right now, Iain's 
family is fortunate to have health insurance that absorbs much of the 
cost of his care. However, they are all too aware that Iain may soon 
reach the lifetime limit of his coverage, leaving them no

[[Page H14811]]

choice but to pay for the care themselves.
  That's why, Mr. Speaker, by the way, it is so important that we pass 
national health insurance that this House passed just a short time ago.
  Equally cognizant of difficulties that Iain and his family face, Matt 
decided to do his part to help. In a noble act of true empathy and 
friendship, Matt Moniz joined his family and friends in a campaign to 
climb 14 of Colorado's 14,000-foot peaks in 14 days, covering a total 
of 42,020 vertical feet and 71 miles. This, in and of itself, would 
have been an incredible feat, but this extraordinary young man 
accomplished it in 8 days. His goal was to give each climber a 
firsthand sense of a typical day in the life of a patient living with 
PAH while simultaneously raising money to ease the financial burden for 
his friend Iain and his family.
  Well, on Saturday, July 18, 2009, Matt and his fellow climbers 
completed this extraordinary endeavor, raising a total of $20,000 for 
the Iain Hess Breathe Easy Fund and the Pulmonary Hypertension 
Association. Of course, he could not have accomplished this amazing 
task without the love and support of his father, Mike, of his mother, 
Deidra, and of his twin sister, Kaylee--all of whom took part in the 
climb--as well as Iain's sister, Olivia Hess, and numerous other 
friends, family, supporters, community partners, and sponsors.
  Mr. Speaker, Matt's compassion and tenacity exemplify the best of who 
we are and what we aspire to be. Matt is in the audience today with his 
family. I want to applaud Matt for his extraordinary effort, and I look 
forward to supporting his campaign to raise awareness of PAH so we can 
work toward a cure for everyone so that everyone can breathe a little 
easier.

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