[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 160 (Thursday, September 27, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1315]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  HONORING NATHAN DAVIS AND CHILDREN'S CARDIOMYOPATHY AWARENESS MONTH

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                             HON. TOM COLE

                              of oklahoma

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 27, 2018

  Mr. COLE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor one of my constituents, 
Nathan Davis of Norman, Oklahoma, and in support of Children's 
Cardiomyopathy Awareness Month.
   As an infant, Nathan had a virus which caused his heart to develop 
dilated cardiomyopathy, a life-long and degenerative heart disease that 
thins the heart muscle. The heart virus also caused Nathan to have a 
seizure that lasted three days. He survived against the odds but was 
left with long-term effects of cardiomyopathy and his seizures. Nathan 
grew up in a town that focused heavily on sports but was never able to 
play. His seizures caused short-term memory loss, exacerbated by his 
daily heart medications. These life challenges have also caused Nathan 
to suffer from mental health illnesses. His daily prayer is that with 
increased awareness and funding for cardiomyopathy that eventually a 
cure can be found.
   September is Children's Cardiomyopathy Awareness month, which helps 
to raise the profile and spread information about cardiomyopathy and 
the effects it can have on children and their families. As in the case 
of Nathan, cardiomyopathy can lead to life-long difficulties, or, 
tragically, death. It is a leading cause of sudden cardiac arrest, 
particularly among young people, and is the leading cause of heart 
transplants for children over one year of age. Because symptoms are not 
always obvious, cardiomyopathy can easily remain undetected, with often 
fatal consequences. The mortality rate for pediatric cardiomyopathy 
exceeds that of all childhood cancers combined, and yet there is a 
shocking lack of both awareness and research on this terrible disease.
   I urge my colleagues to join me in honoring Nathan Davis and his 
fight to raise awareness for cardiomyopathy.

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