[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 212 (Tuesday, December 15, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7491-S7492]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                     Remembering Dr. Victor Rivera

  Now we go back to the eastern side of the State, to Bucks County, PA, 
to talk about Dr. Victor Rivera, who was a retired pediatrician from 
Langhorne, which is in Bucks County, of course, just north of 
Philadelphia, very close to the New Jersey border as well.
  Dr. Rivera practiced medicine for over 40 years, treating thousands 
of local children. He volunteered for medical missions and cared for 
children abroad. He leaves behind a loving family--his wife Mila, four 
children, and extended family all around the world.
  Dr. Rivera was fondly remembered by his community after he died from 
COVID-19 complications in April of this year. They described Dr. Rivera 
as a father figure, someone dedicated to his patients but also his 
staff, who connected with his patients--in the words of one person, ``a 
kind, gentle soul.''
  In some cases, Dr. Rivera treated multiple generations of the same 
family. When his patients grew up, they brought their own children back 
to his care.
  Many commented on his big heart, his warm smile, and his ``magical'' 
singing voice. Even when he was hospitalized for COVID-19, Dr. Rivera 
was

[[Page S7492]]

singing to the nurses in the intensive care unit and cracking jokes.
  After retirement, he kept working shifts. When he wasn't working, he 
and Mila would travel, and that is how he contracted COVID-19, 
returning from an international trip just as the pandemic was 
worsening.
  Dr. Rivera, like so many others who have died from COVID-19, leaves a 
big hole in his community. So we also offer our condolences and 
sympathies to Dr. Rivera's family.