[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 59 (Thursday, April 10, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E574]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


               CELEBRATING THE LAUNCH OF FRESH NEW START

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ANDER CRENSHAW

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 10, 2014

  Mr. CRENSHAW. Mr. Speaker, several years ago I had the privilege of 
employing a brilliant and dedicated young staffer named Francis B. 
Gibbs. Francis was one of my first campaign staffers and I was 
privileged for him to come with me to Washington as I began my 
congressional career in 2001. He was a trusted aide and a true friend 
who always gave me the straight answer. He left my office to become 
Legislative Director, then Chief of Staff for U.S. Representative 
Connie Mack and later served as Chief of Staff for the Florida 
Department of Transportation. Rooted in principle, Francis was an 
honest, committed public servant, friend to many, and devoted husband 
to LeAnne and father to children Couper and Riley. He faced a world of 
possibility and wasn't afraid to tackle challenges head on.
   So it was devastating when he received a cancer diagnosis that 
turned his world--and that of his family--upside down. It was a 
challenge that, despite every effort, he ultimately was unable to 
overcome. Francis passed away on May 17, 2013, at the age of 40, 
leaving behind grieving family and friends who could only ask 
themselves the age-old question: ``Why?''
   Struggling with the ``why'' and feeling overcome by the pain that 
comes with losing someone you love so much can be debilitating. Our 
human nature tells us to withdraw from the world, to isolate and self-
protect. And as hard as it is to pick ourselves up and carry on, it is 
the only way that beauty can be born from ashes.
   LeAnne Holdman Gibbs did just that. In the midst of her own pain, 
this extraordinary young widow and mother of two young children decided 
that she needed to honor Francis' wish for her and reconnect with the 
world after a year of cancer-caregiving. So she took a group of 
girlfriends on a trip to Florence, Italy, using the trip to renew and 
refresh, to rediscover passions, and to dream about her future.
   But it didn't end there. Before his death, Francis and LeAnne talked 
about how she might use her own experience to inspire other young women 
who were in a similar situation. As she began her own widowhood 
journey, she was surprised and frustrated to find that there were so 
few resources dedicated to serving young cancer widows who had been 
their spouses' primary caregivers. She was determined to do something 
about that, and has since dedicated herself to supporting such women.
   The concept for a not-for-profit corporation was born.
   With tremendous courage, hard work, and help from a core group of 
friends, LeAnne founded Fresh New Start, an organization ``that seeks 
to refresh and renew the young woman who has lost her husband to cancer 
and to offer encouragement and support as she both starts and endures 
her journey through widowhood.'' Fresh New Start will sponsor trips/
retreats for selected candidates and up to three adult friends to give 
other young cancer widows the opportunity to ``renew, refresh, and 
restart.'' The corporation will also serve these women by providing 
connections to other young cancer widows and additional resources for 
them and their caregivers.
   Fresh New Start officially launched on the first day of spring--
March 20, 2014. I am proud of LeAnne for honoring Francis' memory by 
launching Fresh New Start and offer my congratulations on the creation 
of an organization that will benefit many young widows for years to 
come and honor the legacy of a friend I miss dearly, Francis B. Gibbs.

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