[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 4]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 4981]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




             HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF MARY ANN WASIL

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ROSA L. DeLAURO

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 21, 2016

  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, it is with the heaviest of hearts that I 
rise today to take a moment to pay tribute to an incredible woman who I 
consider one of my personal heroes, Mary Ann Wasil who lost a brilliant 
battle with breast cancer late last week. Mary Ann possessed a 
tenacious spirit, an unyielding faith, a heart full of love, and an 
infectious smile--she was one-of-a-kind and will be deeply missed by 
all of those fortunate enough to have known and worked with her.
  For one whose life was cut so short, Mary Ann had an extraordinary 
story. She was a police officer, an actor, a development officer for 
her church and its elementary school, the founder of a non-profit 
organization, a health activist, and, most importantly and above all 
others, a mother of three. She gave 110 percent to everything that she 
did, every project she undertook, and every battle she fought.
  Breast cancer was what took Mary Ann from us, but it is also what one 
of her lasting legacies was born from. Battling to remission after her 
first diagnosis with Stage II breast cancer in 2004, Mary Ann took her 
experience and turned it into, not only a teachable moment, but a 
successful and much needed breast health initiative, the Get in Touch 
Foundation. Mary Ann discovered the initial lump in her breast while 
doing a self-breast examination and her cancer was only diagnosed 
correctly and quickly because she was so familiar with her body and her 
breasts. Even with some doctors telling her not to worry, to wait, Mary 
Ann pushed on because she knew it was more than a simple fluctuation.
  As Mary Ann waged her war with breast cancer, she looked into the 
eyes of her two young daughters and knew she wanted to do something to 
make sure that they, as well as young girls everywhere, were armed with 
all of the information and tools they would need to be strong and smart 
in breast health. Thus, the Get in Touch Foundation was born. The Get 
In Touch Girls Program and Daisy Wheel teaches girls to ``get in 
touch'' with their bodies through self-examination. Developed by board 
members and members of the medical community, including focus-groups of 
girls ages 8 through 18, the interactive Daisy Wheel teaches the 
importance of and how to do a breast self-examination. The Daisy Wheel 
is given to girls in grades 9 through 12 when health educators discuss 
hygiene and the girls' changing bodies. The program has been 
implemented in more than twenty-six countries across the globe and the 
Daisy Wheel has been downloaded in more than eighty countries. The 
impact of this program is as extraordinary as its founder.
  In 2010 Mary Ann won a contract from Balboa Press to publish her 
memoir, A Diary of Healing: My Intense and Meaningful Life with Cancer. 
Throughout its pages you can hear Mary Ann's laughter, feel her 
outrage, and you will often find yourself crying with her, experiencing 
the twists and turns of her journey. Mary Ann battled back to remission 
several times over the last decade, always grateful for the additional 
time she had with family and friends. And though she lost this last 
battle, her story will continue to be an inspiration.
  My heart goes out to her children, Betsy, Mary, and Eddy. Just 
thirteen, twelve, and ten at the time of their mother's diagnosis, they 
were forced to grow-up remarkably quickly but always in the warmth of 
Mary Ann's smile and secure in the knowledge of her love for them. I 
know that, in each their own way, they will carry-on Mary Ann's legacy 
of love, courage, education, and hope.
  Over the years, I developed a deep friendship with Mary Ann and I 
consider myself so fortunate to have known her. She was, quite simply, 
an extraordinary human being. Activist, author, mentor, friend, and 
mother--Mary Ann Wasil was a woman whose time with us, though short, 
left an indelible mark on all our lives. Though we will all miss her 
tenacity, dedication, and, of course, her smile, family and friends 
will gather in their brightest, most vividly colored clothes, wearing 
their fanciest shows and celebrate the life of Mary Ann Wasil and the 
many gifts she brought to all of our lives. As Mary Ann would say--Hope 
Lives.

                          ____________________