[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 171 (Thursday, November 19, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1659-E1660]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    EPILEPSY AWARENESS MONTH REMARKS

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JAMES R. LANGEVIN

                            of rhode island

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 19, 2015

  Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, November is National Epilepsy Awareness 
Month. Epilepsy affects more than 2.8 million Americans, almost 10,000 
of whom reside in my home state of Rhode Island. For the majority of 
those diagnosed with this condition, there is no known cause. 
Furthermore, one-third of people living with Epilepsy have seizures 
that can't be controlled with current treatments.
  Richard and Deb Siravo tragically lost their five-year-old son Matty 
to Epilepsy in 2003. However, they chose to turn their tragedy into

[[Page E1660]]

action and founded The Matty Fund. They didn't want other families 
facing similar challenges to go without help, and they dedicated 
themselves to raising awareness, providing family resources and 
improving the lives of children and families living with Epilepsy.
  I'm so proud of the work that the Matty Fund does in Rhode Island, 
and I encourage everyone to take a moment and reflect on what they can 
do to support Epilepsy awareness, not just during November, but all 
year long.

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