[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 112 (Wednesday, July 28, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H6192-H6194]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HONORING DR. ROBERT M. CAMPBELL, JR.
Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to
the resolution (H. Res. 1499) honoring the achievements of Dr. Robert
M. Campbell, Jr., to provide children with lifesaving medical care, as
amended.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The text of the resolution is as follows:
H. Res. 1499
Whereas Dr. Robert M. Campbell, Jr., is a pediatric
orthopedic surgeon affiliated for many years with the
University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and
now Director of the Thoracic Insufficiency Center at The
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia;
Whereas Dr. Campbell has devoted his career to working with
children suffering from congenital scoliosis, fused ribs,
small chest, and missing ribs;
Whereas Dr. Campbell, working with other specialists,
helped identify Thoracic Insufficiency Syndrome, which is
associated with the rare conditions of congenital scoliosis,
fused ribs, small chests, and missing ribs, and results in
the inability of the thorax to support normal respiration or
lung growth which is often fatal in children;
Whereas the life-saving medical devices often used in adult
care of rib conditions are not designed or sized for the
bodies of children suffering from Thoracic Insufficiency
Syndrome or similar conditions;
Whereas, over the years, physicians have often turned to
adult devices, less effective treatments, more invasive
therapies, or jury-rigging makeshift equipment to provide
vital care for children;
Whereas doctors were often left with no effective treatment
for these critically ill children;
Whereas, in 1987, Dr. Robert Campbell, working together
with the late Dr. Melvin
[[Page H6193]]
Smith, a professor of pediatric general surgery at CHRISTUS
Santa Rosa Children's Hospital, invented the Vertical
Expandable Prosthetic Titanium Rib, which is easy to implant
and easy to expand with minor outpatient surgery as the child
grows;
Whereas the first successful surgery by Drs. Campbell and
Smith in 1989 began a long crusade to receive approval for
the device from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA);
however, so few children are in need of such devices that
study trials stretched out for well over a decade;
Whereas, after over 14 years of advocacy by Dr. Campbell
and Dr. Smith and in large part due to their persistence and
devotion to children, on September 2, 2004, the Food and Drug
Administration approved the Vertical Expandable Prosthetic
Titanium Rib;
Whereas the FDA found that the device was safe and of
benefit in enabling unassisted breathing and less dependence
on ventilators, and that without treatment, children with the
syndrome risk death from respiratory infections or inability
to breathe;
Whereas, since the FDA approval, the Vertical Expandable
Prosthetic Titanium Rib for children with conditions such as
Thoracic Insufficiency Syndrome, Jeune syndrome, and other
medical problems that constrict the growth of children's
lungs has saved the lives of hundreds of children with no
other hope for survival;
Whereas the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD)
and the Office of Orphan Products Development at the FDA made
critical investments in Dr. Campbell's technology;
Whereas Dr. Campbell has served as an advocate for children
with rare medical conditions across the Nation by providing
many hours of volunteer service to the National Organization
for Rare Disorders (NORD) as a member of its Medical Advisory
Committee; and
Whereas Dr. Campbell has also served as an advocate for
children through actions such as his March 27, 2007,
testimony before the United States Senate Committee on
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions entitled ``Ensuring
Safe Medicines and Medical Devices for Children'': Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) honors Dr. Robert Campbell for his lifelong devotion to
children's health care;
(2) congratulates Dr. Robert Campbell and his colleagues on
their extraordinary achievement in pediatric and orthopedic
innovation; and
(3) recognizes the Vertical Expandable Prosthetic Titanium
Rib device which has saved the lives of so many infants and
children, while giving hope to their families.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New
Jersey (Mr. Pallone) and the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Gingrey) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey.
General Leave
Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks
and include extraneous material in the Record.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from New Jersey?
There was no objection.
Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Madam Speaker, House Resolution 1499 honors the achievements of Dr.
Robert M. Campbell, Jr. to provide children with lifesaving medical
care. I want to thank the sponsor of the bill, Congresswoman Debbie
Wasserman Schultz from Florida, for sponsoring this bill, and also her
tireless efforts to get cosponsors and what's necessary to bring this
bill to the floor on an expedited basis today.
I will leave it to the Congresswoman to talk more about Dr. Robert M.
Campbell, but let me just say that he is a pediatric orthopedic
surgeon, affiliated for many years with the University of Texas, and
also now director of the Thoracic Insufficiency Center at the
Children's Hospital in Philadelphia.
In collaboration with other specialists, he helped identify thoracic
insufficiency syndrome, which is associated with a rare condition of
congenital scoliosis, fused ribs, small chests, and missing ribs. After
14 years of advocacy, the Food and Drug Administration approved the
vertical expandable prosthetic titanium rib in 2004 through Dr.
Campbell's efforts, so I want to applaud his work.
I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
{time} 1300
Mr. GINGREY of Georgia. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this resolution, House
Resolution 1499, honoring the achievements of Dr. Robert Campbell, Jr.
and the work that he did in regard to not only this particular device
that Mr. Pallone just described but in regard to a lot of other
pediatric medical equipment.
I guess today is my day for reflection, Mr. Speaker, because, as a
practicing physician for 31 years before being elected as a Member of
the House, I distinctly recall having a patient who actually died of
this Thoracic Insufficiency Syndrome, which Mr. Pallone was discussing
in regard to how Dr. Campbell invented this device, this vertical
expandable prosthetic rib. I don't know when that invention occurred.
Well, I do know. It was in 1987. So, Mr. Speaker, the story of my
patient was before that.
My patient was someone who was born with spina bifida, someone who
never had usage of her lower body, her limbs. She was what I guess you
would refer to as a paraplegic. She did live into adulthood. When she
was my patient, she was in her midthirties, and she was beautiful. Her
name was Fran. Out of respect for the family, I won't say her last
name, but Fran was beautiful. She looked like a child even though she
was in her midthirties, but her chest--her thorax--as was just
described with Dr. Campbell's patient, had not grown or fully
developed, and it was difficult for her to breathe. When Fran actually
died, I am sad to say, maybe a couple of years after she became my
patient, that is what she died from.
Maybe if she, as a child, had had the opportunity to take advantage
of Dr. Campbell's knowledge and expertise and contributions to
medicine, particularly in the field of pediatrics and pediatric birth
defects, maybe Fran would be alive today. That would be great, because
she was a wonderful person.
So I am very supportive of this resolution honoring Dr. Robert
Campbell, Jr.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the
gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz). If I could say, not
only on this bill but on so many bills related to health care, she has
really been out front and has taken a leadership role. I want to
commend her for that.
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Thank you, Chairman Pallone, for your
consideration.
Thank you to the Energy and Commerce Committee--Mr. Waxman and Mr.
Gingrey--for granting us this time to honor Dr. Robert M. Campbell.
Thank you to all of the Members. In the last few days, we have added
more than 100 cosponsors to this legislation now, which is really
remarkable in only a few days. I had a chance to talk to so many of our
colleagues about Dr. Campbell's story, and they wanted to join us in
honoring him.
Mr. Speaker, Dr. Robert M. Campbell has dedicated his life to
providing children with life-saving medical care. I first learned about
Dr. Campbell's work when a little boy in my district named Devin
Alfonso was given a terminal diagnosis of severe scoliosis. His spine
and ribs were so severely bent that there was no room for his lungs and
heart to grow.
For some time, the technology had existed to help adult patients with
serious skeletal conditions. However, as Devin's family had to learn
the hard way, the life-saving medical devices used in adult care are
not fit for the small bodies of children. So often, these medical
devices are simply far too big for children who are suffering from
either scoliosis, Thoracic Insufficiency Syndrome, or similar
conditions. Even if miniature versions of these devices were created, a
growing child's body would mean that the device would quickly become
too small and would require more invasive surgery.
For years, physicians trying to treat children like Devin were forced
to use less effective treatments, more invasive therapies or jury-
rigged makeshift equipment as their only options in providing this
vital care. Far too often, these doctors are left with no effective
treatment at all, meaning that a diagnosis like Devin's was simply a
death sentence.
Dr. Campbell refused to accept these outcomes. He devoted his career
to working with children like Devin who
[[Page H6194]]
were suffering from congenital scoliosis, fused ribs, small chests, and
missing ribs. He made it his mission to change their fates. In such a
dire environment, the work of this dedicated physician, Dr. Robert
Campbell, has made all the difference. He has waged a decades-long
campaign to provide a solution for these children that gives them a
fighting chance.
During the 1980s, while at the University of Texas Health Science
Center at San Antonio, Dr. Campbell teamed up with the late Dr. Melvin
Smith on developing a medical device suitable for children. In 1987,
Dr. Campbell, along with Dr. Smith, made a major breakthrough with the
invention of the Vertical Expandable Prosthetic Titanium Rib. This
device proved to be easy to implant, and importantly, it could be
expanded with minor outpatient surgery as the child grows.
Unfortunately, as these rare rib and spine disorders occur so
infrequently in the population, Dr. Campbell was just starting his
journey on getting this life-saving device to the children who needed
it. Completing the necessary trials for Food and Drug Administration
approval proved to be a tremendous challenge. The process stretched out
for well over a decade, but Dr. Campbell kept at it, working to develop
and complete the needed trials.
In this effort, he received invaluable help from the National
Organization for Rare Disorders, or NORD. This organization of medical
professionals helps bring attention to the 6,800 known rare diseases
that currently have no approved therapies. Through funding and support
from NORD, Dr. Campbell was able to continue his work.
Dr. Campbell persevered and he ultimately prevailed. After many years
of advocacy, due in large part to his devotion to children, he won
approval from the FDA for the Vertical Expandable Prosthetic Titanium
Rib on September 2, 2004.
Thanks to Dr. Campbell's work, Devin Alfonso was able to enroll in a
clinical trial to receive the medical device that saved his life.
Hundreds of other children suffering from spinal and skeletal
abnormalities have also survived and have even thrived thanks to this
enthusiastic doctor and his noteworthy invention.
From his identification of Thoracic Insufficiency Syndrome to his
persistence in bringing his life-saving device to fruition, Dr.
Campbell has been a stalwart for children's health. He is an
inspiration to everyone who has worked with him and, most certainly, to
the children and families he has helped.
I know the impact he has had on Devin and on his mom, Rixys Alfonso.
I know, over the past decade, I have gotten to share in the joy as
Devin has grown into a wonderful young man.
So please join me in celebrating Dr. Campbell's achievements and in
honoring his unwavering devotion to saving the lives of so many
children.
Mr. GINGREY of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to support
House Resolution 1499, the resolution honoring Dr. Robert Campbell, Jr.
I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of
my time.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the resolution.
I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of
my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Blumenauer). The question is on the
motion offered by the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) that the
House suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1499, as
amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the resolution, as amended, was agreed to.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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