[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 16 (Wednesday, February 3, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H524-H525]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           JUVENILE DIABETES

  (Mr. BOCCIERI asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. BOCCIERI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the 3 
million young Americans who courageously fight juvenile diabetes every 
day. Recently, I had the privilege of meeting three brave children from 
my northeastern Ohio district, Andrew Butter-
worth, Meghan Jordan, and Gaetano Cecchini, who suffer from juvenile 
diabetes, but take their condition with great humility and strength.
  Each day 40 children are diagnosed with diabetes in the United 
States. The price to maintain treatment can cost thousands of dollars 
per year. While insulin is enough to keep that person alive, it doesn't 
prevent the potential side effects of kidney failure, blindness, 
amputations, and heart attacks.

[[Page H525]]

  When Meghan came to my office, she gave me a notebook with pictures 
and descriptions of her enjoying her life to her fullest, in spite of 
her condition. And she writes, ``Having diabetes is physically and 
emotionally hard. I check my blood sugars at least five times a day and 
give myself 4 shots a day. My grandpa really helped me with diabetes, 
but he passed away, and I miss him very much. Promise to remember me 
and the children who have juvenile diabetes and help us find a cure.''
  We owe it to them to fight hard to make sure that juvenile diabetes 
and other debilitating diseases that affect our children are looked at, 
fought, and make sure that we can end them in a timely fashion.

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