[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 5]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 6407]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     PEDIATRIC INTERIM CARE CENTER

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. DAVID G. REICHERT

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, May 2, 2011

  Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of an 
organization that my family and I hold close to our hearts: the 
Pediatric Interim Care Center (PICC). PICC opened its doors in 1990 in 
Kent, Washington, and since that time has saved the lives of more than 
2,500 drug-addicted newborns. An organization like PICC--with visionary 
leaders and founders like Barbara Drennen and Barbara Richards--reminds 
us every day just how fragile and precious life is, and how much 
promise it holds. For 20 years PICC and its leadership, staff, and 
volunteers have transformed lives, bettered communities, and served a 
purpose greater than self.
  Simply perusing PICC's website is enough to make an individual know 
with heart, mind, and soul that the work being done down there is good 
and life-altering. Going to PICC in Kent and having the opportunity to 
hold the beautiful and precious babies there can change one's life. I 
know it did mine, in many ways. My daughter Tabitha and her husband Ken 
adopted two beautiful babies from PICC. There is no doubt that raising 
a drug-addicted baby is difficult. Tabitha and Ken endured many 
sleepless nights, countless frustrations, and more than a few tears. Of 
course, life's biggest struggles so often bring life's biggest 
blessings. And what a blessing those beautiful babies have been. 
Tabitha, Ken, my wife, Julie, and I, and the rest of my family feel 
incredibly blessed everyday to have received gifts from PICC in the 
form of Emma and Briar. Emma is now seven and Briar is nine. They've 
blessed our family and our friends immensely. They've grown from 
fragile babies into energetic and precocious kids who play and enjoy 
life everyday with the intensity and wonder reserved for youth. While 
making discoveries and investigating life with my two remarkable 
grandchildren, I thank PICC staff and volunteers for the life-altering 
and truly beautiful work they do. Over the course of 20 years, PICC has 
provided countless memories to thousands and continue to expand on 
their legacy.
  The scourge of drug use and abuse afflicts families and communities 
in every part of our nation. Children born into drug abuse start life 
at a distinct disadvantage. Children exposed to illegal drugs are more 
likely to ingest drugs themselves, abuse alcohol, fail in their 
relationships, and fall short of being an asset in their community. 
Sometimes it's easy to give in and think the cycle of abuse and failure 
will never end. That's when an organization like PICC provides hope. 
Hope for families looking to adopt. Hope for mothers ready to turn 
their lives around. Hope for innocent babies who only need love and an 
opportunity to grow. The heartwarming stories of hope and love at PICC 
can be found on their website and in homes across this country. PICC 
provides safety, education, and a helping hand to those who need it and 
don't ask for much in return. PICC succeeds on a shoestring budget and 
a lot of hard work and dedication. Kent is a better place because of 
PICC. The Eighth District is a better place because of PICC. The state 
of Washington is a better place because of PICC, and our nation is a 
better place because of PICC.
  In the end, why does Barbara Drennen do it? Why do the staff and 
volunteers at PICC spend countless hours holding babies, working in the 
community, and educating? Because everyone at PICC believes in their 
mission: protecting and serving the least among us. They believe in a 
purpose bigger than themselves. I'm so happy that mission and that 
purpose is still alive and well 20 years after it was conceived by 
Barbara Drennen and Barbara Richards. PICC's mission and purpose is 
Emma and Briar and the thousands of other children that enrich our 
lives every day. We're all thankful for that.

                          ____________________