Spina Bifida Awareness Month

Floor Speech

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Mr. HERN. Madam Speaker, I recognize today as National Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Day, and additionally October as National Spina Bifida Month. Spina Bifida impacts families across our great nation, including my own; many in my family have suffered with Spina Bifida.

Spina Bifida is a birth defect which forms from a hole in the spiral cord where it fails to close properly, allowing nerves and fluid to form a sac outside the body. To correct this, the child must undergo dozens of surgeries before they become adults, and even then, they face a myriad of physical and mental health issues. No two children will be affected the same way, as each condition is unique.

In a testament to the innovation and research of our American scientific ingenuity, we currently have the first generation of adults to live with Spina Bifida. Still, there is much work to do. It is our responsibility to ensure proper funding for Spina Bifida care and research so that both treatment and quality of life improve for all Americans with the condition.

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