[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 17]
[House]
[Page 24910]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


[[Page 24910]]

              RECOGNIZING IMPORTANCE OF ORGAN PROCUREMENT

  (Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)



  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, it has often been said that life is 
short, and the nearly 60,000 patients who are currently on a waiting 
list to get organs know just how precious time is. Sadly enough, only 
20,000 people this year will receive an organ transplant, and just 
today, nine people will lose their lives because a match was not found.
  Today, I congratulate constituents who recognize the importance of 
organ procurement: folks like Donnie Coker, president of the Transplant 
Foundation of Miami; Elleay Compton, executive director; Jeffrey 
Barash, Miami-Dade County president; and transplant surgeons at the 
University of Miami, such as Joshua Miller, Andreas Sazis, Si Fan, and 
Patricia Carroll.
  On November 4, this committee will host Miami's fifth annual ``That's 
Life Gala'' where funds will be raised for services, for research, and 
for education on the need for organ procurement. There is no greater 
gift than the gift of life.
  Like my noble constituents, we must encourage this giving and leave a 
lasting legacy by working to increase donors across our district and 
throughout our land. I thank the University of Miami for their great 
gift of life.

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