[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 168 (Tuesday, October 25, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1084]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      SPINA BIFIDA AWARENESS MONTH

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                            HON. KEVIN HERN

                              of oklahoma

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 25, 2022

  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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