[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 12]
[House]
[Page 17796]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                       CHILDHOOD CANCER AWARENESS

  (Mr. BALLENGER asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Mr. BALLENGER. Mr. Speaker, we are all aware of the impact that 
cancer has on the American public. Sadly, we often do not realize the 
severity of childhood cancer. Today alone, 46 children will be 
diagnosed with cancer. But even more disturbing is that only two-thirds 
of those with cancer will survive.
  Childhood cancer was recently brought to my attention when Kimberly 
Davies, the daughter of a member of my Washington staff, was diagnosed 
with CML leukemia at the age of 7.
  Kimberly is doing well and continues to fight this dreaded disease. 
Kimberly is lucky, she has a bone marrow match through her sisters. 
However, most children are forced to wait and look nationally for bone 
marrow donors. This process can be extremely long and terribly 
uncertain.
  The prognosis for Kimberly is positive. However, without the constant 
research and new methods of treatment, Kimberly's outlook may not have 
been so good.
  Cancer is not a disease which only affects adults. Cancer affects 
children, too. It is important that Americans are aware of this and 
work to prevent and cure all forms of cancer. In Congress, it is 
important that we continue to fund children's cancer research. Every 
day, science inches closer to finding a cure. Let us not hold back now.
  I urge my colleagues to support the funding of child cancer research 
this year and in the years to come.

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