[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 9]
[Senate]
[Pages 12369-12370]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        REMEMBERING POLLY ARANGO

 Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, today I wish to pay tribute to 
the extraordinary life of Polly Arango, who died on Saturday, June 26, 
2010, in a tragic accident in Alamosa, CO. Her husband, children, 
grandchildren, family, and friends have lost a very special individual. 
And New Mexico and the Nation lost a tireless advocate for children, 
particularly those with disabilities.
  Polly spent her life working on behalf of the most vulnerable in our 
society. Early in her career, she organized programs that allowed 
American families to adopt orphans from Ecuador. She and her husband 
John later adopted themselves, providing loving care to a son who had 
severe developmental difficulties. Shortly thereafter, Polly began her 
lifelong to work to ensure that other families in similar situations 
had access to vital education, health care, and support services.
  To do so, she cofounded Parents Reaching Out, a nonprofit 
organization that works with parents, caregivers, educators and other 
professionals to promote healthy, positive and caring experiences for 
New Mexico families and children.
  Polly also founded and served as the executive director of Family 
Voices, an advocacy group that strives to bolster both the access and 
the quality of health care for children with special needs. In her work 
for Family Voices, she, more than any other leader in the advocacy 
world, fought for family-centered care for children with disabilities. 
Her efforts with officials in New Mexico led to many important 
successes such as establishing the Medically Fragile Children's Program 
and the New Mexico High Risk Insurance Pool, reducing the school age 
for children with disabilities, and increasing coverage and services 
for children in Medicaid Programs.
  Polly was very helpful to my staff and me over many years as we 
worked together on major health reform and education issues. She was in 
contact with us monthly and even weekly to inform us of developments in 
New Mexico and across the Nation and she had a wonderful ability to 
blend an understanding of complex policies with the practical needs of 
New Mexicans. I know she was particularly heartened by our recent 
passage of national health care reform. And, I know she would agree 
that we all must continue to fight to ensure that the needs of children 
remain central in our efforts to forge a more effective and equitable 
health care system.
  I extend my sincere condolences to Polly's husband and children, and 
the entire Arango family.
 Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. President, I rise today to 
celebrate the life--and mourn the loss--of one of New Mexico's finest 
public servants.
  The Land of Enchantment suffered a tremendous loss last Saturday, 
when Polly Arango was involved in a fatal accident in Alamosa, CO. As a 
long-time resident of Algodones, NM, Polly was one of the most 
exemplary advocates for children living with disabilities our State has 
ever known. During her time with us, Polly taught us that regardless of 
socioeconOmic status, culture, race, religion or health conditions, our 
children have inalienable rights that we must fight to protect.
  Born in Green Bay, WI, Polly moved to our State in 1962 to attend 
University of New Mexico. After marrying John Arango, she began her 
career as an advocate placing Ecuadorian orphans with families in the 
United States while her husband served as Peace Corps director in 
Panama and Ecuador.

[[Page 12370]]

  A turning point for Polly and John came with the adoption of their 
son Nicolas. As Polly learned that Nicolas had a severe developmental 
disability, she began her work securing full education and access to 
health care for children with chronic health conditions. Nicolas 
inspired Polly's work to open the eyes of school officials, 
policymakers, community leaders, friends and neighbors to the 
challenges facing children with disabilities. Her efforts were not only 
for Nicolas, but for thousands of other New Mexican families in need.
  In 1992, Polly cofounded a national grassroots network called Family 
Voices. Today, Family Voices consists of more than 45,000 New Mexican 
families and friends working together to improve health care for 
children and youth with special needs. Polly served as the first 
executive director and most recently served on the board of directors. 
Polly also cofounded Parents Reaching Out, a statewide network of 
programs designed to meet the ever changing needs of New Mexican 
families. Based on her leadership, this organization continues to 
connect children and their families to resources that will improve 
their quality of life.
  Polly represented families and family-centered care on many national 
boards, commissions and international forums. She was named to the New 
Mexico Medicaid Advisory Committee and served as a member of the New 
Mexico Supreme Court's Court Improvement Project on foster care. She 
also co-authored several books and many articles on health care, foster 
children, and families, and she was executive producer and writer of a 
PBS documentary about inclusion titled: ``What Does Normal Mean?''
  Through her work, Polly displayed a noble commitment to fight for the 
health and civil rights of all children, especially disabled children, 
who often cannot fight for themselves. Polly actively demonstrated one 
of our greatest American values: that families can be the most 
important caregivers, and every child deserves a family.
  She was survived by her husband, John; her four children--Carlos 
Arango, Francesca Wilson, Maria Arango and Nicolas Arango; her seven 
grandchildren--Sloan Wilson, Conor Arango, Gabby Arango, Kellen Wilson, 
Grace Arango, Lenor Arango and Isabel Arango; and seven of her eight 
brothers and sisters--Richard Egan, Kevin Egan, Martha Egan, Kathryn 
Stout, Patrick Egan, Michael Egan and Thomas Egan.
  In her recent obituary, Polly's friends and family kindly thanked me 
for my role in health care reform and my support for rural health 
programs. While I appreciate these sentiments, I want to thank Polly. I 
want to thank her for her invaluable contributions as a mother, friend, 
and public servant on behalf of all she touched. Our State won't be the 
same without her. I am blessed to have known her. New Mexico will miss 
Polly Arango, but we know that her legacy will live on.
  As Polly Arango is laid to rest this week, I ask my colleagues to 
join me in honoring this remarkable public servant.

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