[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 4]
[House]
[Page 4957]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS AWARENESS MONTH

  (Mr. LOWENTHAL asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. LOWENTHAL. Mr. Speaker, I stand here today to recognize the month 
of March as Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month. MS is a debilitating, 
chronic disease that attacks the central nervous system and causes 
visual problems, overwhelming fatigue, difficulty with balance and 
coordination, and impaired mobility.
  One of my most trusted and long-term district staff members, Ms. 
Robin McCray, who has been with me for many, many years--first, when I 
was in the California State Legislature and now in Congress--has a son, 
Ian, who is now 42 years of age, who has MS.
  Ian was diagnosed at the age of 29, at the most productive time in 
his life. He was an avid snowboarder, an outdoorsman, and practiced 
masonry. MS has stolen these things away from him.
  There is no cure for MS, which is why we need advocates to help fight 
this terrible disease. I have seen, through Robin and Ian, how MS not 
only affects the individual, but the entire family.
  Today I speak for Ian, but I advocate for the 400,000 Americans 
diagnosed with MS.

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