[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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