[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 194 (Wednesday, December 14, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1292]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              TRIBUTE TO JAMIE BERRY ON HER LIFE AND WORK

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. ANNA G. ESHOO

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 14, 2022

  Ms. ESHOO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and work of 
my constituent and friend Jamie Berry, who died on November 9, 2022, 
after a valiant two-year battle with ALS. After exchanging many letters 
with Jamie, I had the privilege of meeting her on October 6, 2022, at 
her home in San Jose, California. Her mother, a fierce protector and 
loving caregiver, asked me to visit Jamie who was by then unable to 
leave her home. I found a beautiful woman unable to move, but who had a 
clear voice to tell me her hopes, fears and dreams. Jamie was a great 
inspiration to me, and she knew that I would continue her work to raise 
funds for the treatment and a cure for ALS.
  Jamie was diagnosed with ALS in 2020. Prior to her diagnosis, she 
excelled in her sales career, helped run her family's business, and 
loved to ride ATVs and camp at her family's ranch near the Almaden 
Quicksilver mines. After her diagnosis, she put all of her energy and 
determination into her advocacy for ALS patients and their families. 
Through her superb leadership, infectious humor and kind heart, she 
recruited a large group of friends from across the country to help her 
advocate for ALS patients. During my Health Subcommittee hearing on the 
ACT for ALS legislation on November 4, 2021, I quoted Jamie:
  ``With ALS, a piece of you dies every single day. We are simply 
asking for a fighting chance to live the lives we were meant to live.''
  Thanks to Jamie, the Act for ALS became law on December 23, 2021.
  Madam Speaker, I ask the entire House to join me in extending our 
most sincere condolences to Jamie's family, especially her beloved 
husband Jason, her adored daughter Chloee, her devoted mother Deborah, 
her sister Lesha, and her many relatives and friends. Jamie was a 
fervent and effective advocate and her work will live on as a testament 
to her life of love and courage.

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