[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 2] [House] [Page 2431] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]GLANZMANN'S RESOLUTION The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Broun) is recognized for 5 minutes. Mr. BROUN of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I rise today to present a resolution promoting awareness of Glanzmann's Thrombasthenia, a little known, yet debilitating disorder that affects numerous Americans every day. Glanzmann's Thrombasthenia is a genetic blood disorder that is inherited, putting children and young adults at risk. Leading physicians report that Glanzmann's Thrombasthenia presents many symptoms that are often mistaken for other bleeding disorders. This, along with the lack of information on the disorder itself, has caused Glanzmann's to be frequently misdiagnosed. People with Glanzmann's are missing a protein on the surface of the platelet that is vital to the clotting process. People suffering from this disorder have serious problems with uncontrollable bleeding and severe, painful bruising. Their activities can be strictly limited and their lives can be at stake without any warning. Currently there is no cure for this disorder, but research is very promising. The leading researchers in this field firmly believe a cure for Glanzmann's Thrombasthenia can be found through current ongoing research. With proper funding, Glanzmann's could be controllable in the foreseeable future, and some suggest as soon as 10 years from now. A young constituent of mine who lives in Augusta, Georgia, suffers from Glanzmann's Thrombasthenia. Julia Smith is only 9 years old and every day lives and deals with the realities of her disorder. When Julia was born, she was covered in bruises, but blood tests came back normal. Doctors assured her parents that the bruising was just the result of a difficult delivery. When Julia was 6 weeks old, she got a tiny scratch on her cheek; this small scratch bled enough to cover her entire face in blood and saturate her sheets. After this incident, Julia's mother, Helen, took her to the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta and asked that tests be run to find out what was wrong with her daughter. After countless tests and consultations, the Medical College of Georgia's Children's Medical Center physicians diagnosed Julia with Glanzmann's Thrombasthenia. Frantic for information that could save her daughter, Mrs. Smith attempted to research the disorder, and was frustrated and disheartened by the lack of available information. She began to put her name and information on internet registries for individuals suffering from other disorders, hoping that someone who had similar symptoms would make contact with her. She found numerous cases of people equally distraught, seeking information for themselves or their loved one who was dealing with the same misdiagnosed disorder. This realization, along with a small contribution from the grandmother of a Glanzmann's sufferer who wanted to donate money to help others, compelled Mrs. Smith to begin the Glanzmann's Research Foundation in 2001. This non- profit foundation is the focal point for information to others in need and the sole source for funding the ongoing research efforts that will lead to a cure. Mrs. Smith is truly a mother on a mission. Augusta, Georgia, holds a special place in my heart. I graduated from the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta in 1971, and I am proud to have begun my medical career there. I am delighted to represent a city that contains, not only the Glanzmann's Research Foundation, which is quite significant in its own right, but also the preeminent public medical college in the southeast, the Medical College of Georgia. To promote awareness for Glanzmann's Thrombasthenia, March 1 has been recommended as the day to establish a National Glanzmann's Thrombasthenia Awareness Day. This date was chosen to coincide with the Glanzmann's Research Foundation's annual fundraiser. ____________________