Recognizing October As National Spina Bifida Awareness Month
Floor Speech
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Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker Pro Tempore, I rise to recognize October as National Spina Bifida Awareness Month and to pay tribute to my constituents with Spina Bifida and their loved ones. Additionally, I recognize October 25th, as World Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Day.
There are currently an estimated 166,000 individuals in the United States living with Spina Bifida. According to the CDC, each year approximately 1,400 babies born in the United States have spina bifida. Those diagnosed with Spina Bifida can expect to spend most of their lives in a wheelchair, or walking with braces, and face the prospect of dozens of surgeries they turn 18.
I have been honored to attend numerous events in the Capital Region, including the Spina Bifida Walk and Roll and the Spina Bifida Dare to Dream Gala, both of which are held by the Spina Bifida Association (SBA) of Northeastern New York, that have raised funds for research, brought awareness to the public, and told the stories of those in our community with this disease. I am heartened to attend events like these. which do so much to honor those with spina bifida, as well as their friends, families, and caretakers.
I am so impressed with the breakthroughs in research that have helped to give those living with this disease a more fulfilling life. Thanks to the work of organizations like SBA, new medical treatments and technologies have been developed that allow most people with Spina Bifida to live a normal life span, ensuring they can have a full career, get married, and start a family--no different than those without this disease.
I look forward to working with my colleagues in the House of Representatives to ensure that organizations like the Spina Bifida Association continue to receive the funding and support they have earned. I also will continue to support federal research funding for better understanding the condition, the cause, and treatments. I hope that together we can continue to raise awareness.
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