October 2, 2008 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E2205 

Special Diabetes Program for Indians through 

September 30, 2011, and provided $300 million for type 1 diabetes research. 

According to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, an estimated 15,000 children and adolescents are diagnosed with type 

1 diabetes in the U.S. each year. These are 

children like 8-year-old Sophie Baum, a young 

constituent of mine who was diagnosed with 

diabetes as a baby and spent her first birthday 

in the Intensive Care Unit being treated for her 

illness. Sophie has benefited from research 

advances such as the insulin pump and continuous glucose sensor, but must contend with 

the complexities of life as a diabetic, in which 

every trip to the kitchen table or even a birthday party requires counting carbohydrates and 

calculating the right amount of insulin. I am 

pleased to submit her story, as told to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, in the 

record below. 

We must also take steps to better prevent 

and manage Type 2 diabetes, which accounts 

for 90 to 95 percent of cases of diabetes. Unlike Type 1 diabetes, the risk for Type 2 diabetes is strongly associated with the epidemic of 

overweight and obesity that threatens to overwhelm our increasingly strained health care 

system. According to the Juvenile Diabetes 

Research Foundation, medical costs for diabetes in the U.S. amount to $174 billion per 

year, and nearly 1⁄3 of every Medicare dollar is 

spent on people with diabetes. The good news 

is that, in many cases, Type 2 diabetes can 

be prevented or delayed. The NIH-funded Diabetes Prevention Program showed that modest weight loss (5 to 7 percent of body weight) 

and 30 minutes of exercise 5 times per week 

can reduce the risk of diabetes by 58 percent. 

Sophie’s story and the overwhelming national statistics on diabetes speak for themselves. Therefore, let us commit to a comprehensive approach to addressing diabetes 

and other chronic diseases through prevention, education, treatment, and research that 

we hope one day will find a cure. 

Hi, my name is Sophie Baum. When I was 

a baby—not even 12 months old—one of my 

baby teachers, who had diabetes, noticed I 

was drinking a lot, and stealing other kids’ 

sippy cups. She thought I looked sick, so she 

told my mom to take me to the hospital that 

night. 

We went to the hospital, where they did a 

lot of tests, and figured out I had diabetes. I 

spent my first birthday in the intensive care 

unit. The nurses were feeling sad that I was 

in the hospital, so they bought me a doll. I 

was given a glucometer so I could check my 

blood sugars. 

I was on insulin shots for a long time, but 

I was given a bear, and it showed where you 

can put the shots in. I had to eat meals at 

the same time every day. 

When I was 2, I got an insulin pump. It was 

much easier to have the pump instead of 

sharp shots going into my body, and I could 

eat any time I wanted. One day, when I was 

three, my parents heard a beep. They turned 

around and realized that I had taught myself 

to check my blood sugar, and I’ve been doing 

it myself since then. 

When I was 6, I got a continuous glucose 

sensor, which tells you what my sugar is 

every 5 minutes and sends it to my pump by 

radio. After a while, the radio transmitter 

broke. We got a new one that was exactly 

the same. Then I got a new, smaller one that 

looks like a mushroom. In fact, it works a 

little better. So I actually wear 2 devices at 

all times. One gives me insulin, that’s my insulin pump, and the other checks my blood 

sugar, that’s my sensor. My parents call me 

the bionic girl. 

I have pump packs that hold my insulin 

pump. I recently got a new one with dogs on 

it, and there’s another one that comes with 

it that is for your doll. I got it because my 

doll likes to have diabetes, like me. 

At school, I check my sensor a lot, and if 

it says I am going low, I have to check my 

blood sugar on my glucometer. If I get too 

low, I could have a seizure or pass out. If I 

get too high too often, I might have kidney, 

eye, or heart problems later on. 

It’s hard to have diabetes, because I can’t 

have a lot of sweets at birthday parties, like 

cake and anything that does not have the 

carbohydrates marked on it like any homemade stuff or if somebody through out the 

wrapper. I will explain what I mean by that: 

every time I want to eat something, I have 

to figure out how many carbohydrates are in 

that food. And then I can calculate how 

much insulin to give myself. At home, my 

mom uses a scale to weigh out every single 

thing that I eat, then she knows how much 

insulin I will need. It’s hard when we go to a 

restaurant to eat, because my mom and my 

dad have to guess how much insulin I will 

need. If I give myself too much insulin, my 

blood sugar will be too low in a few hours. If 

I don’t give enough, then my sugar will be 

too high. So, my parents and I think about 

carbohydrates for every bite of food that I 

eat. Eating, for me, is very complicated! 

Scientists have been working on a cure for 

diabetes, but for that they need money. In 

the past four years since 2003 my family 

team, Team Sophie, has raised over $90,000. 

This year my family and I raised $16,000 and 

we would like to raise more next year. 

Thank you for listening to my story and 

for supporting JDRF! 

f 

HONORING JOSHUA WILLIAM 

EDWARDS 

HON. SAM GRAVES OF MISSOURI

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Thursday, October 2, 2008 

Mr. GRAVES. Madam Speaker, I proudly 

pause to recognize Joshua William Edwards 

of Kansas City, Missouri. Joshua is a very 

special young man who has exemplified the 

finest qualities of citizenship and leadership by 

taking an active part in the Boy Scouts of 

America, Troop 1740, and earning the most 

prestigious award of Eagle Scout. 

Joshua has been very active with his troop, 

participating in many Scout activities. Over the 

many years Joshua has been involved with 

Scouting, he has not only earned numerous 

merit badges, but also the respect of his family, peers, and community. 

Madam Speaker, I proudly ask you to join 

me in commending Joshua William Edwards 

for his accomplishments with the Boy Scouts 

of America and for his efforts put forth in 

achieving the highest distinction of Eagle 

Scout. 

f 

HONORING ETHAN JOSEPH WINSLOW MONAGHAN FOR HIS HEROISM 

HON. THADDEUS G. McCOTTER OF MICHIGAN

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Thursday, October 2, 2008 

Mr. MCCOTTER. Madam Speaker, today I 

rise to honor and acknowledge Ethan Joseph 

Winslow Monaghan, a hero, upon earning the 

Boy Scouts of America National Heroism 

Medal for Lifesaving. 

Ethan Monaghan, of Plymouth, Michigan, a 

nine-year-old and first year Webelos Cub 

Scout saved his younger brother’s life on August 23, 2007. Five-year-old Steven D. 

Monaghan II had flipped off an inflatable pool 

tube into five feet of water. Too short to touch 

the bottom and unable to swim, Steven started 

to scream for help before going under the 

water. Ethan heard the cries of help and 

bravely dove into the pool, wrapped his arms 

around Steven’s waist, and pulled his head 

above the water. Ethan, also unable to touch 

the bottom of the pool, was able to swim his 

brother over to adults. Thankfully, Steven did 

not require mouth-to-mouth resuscitation or 

other medical attention because of Ethan’s 

rapid response and instinct. 

Although Ethan has never received any formal lifesaving training, the skills he learned as 

a Cub Scout helped to avert a tragedy. Subsequent to a thorough review of his actions by 

the Detroit Area Council of Boy Scouts, Ethan 

was presented the Boy Scouts of America National Heroism Medal for Lifesaving, which, on 

average, fewer than three hundred boys receive a year. To his brother, Steven, and parents Dr. and Mrs. Steven and Audrey 

Monaghan, Ethan will be a triumphant hero for 

years to come. 

Madam Speaker, Ethan Joseph Winslow 

Monaghan should be recognized for his courage, determination, and selfless action. I ask 

my colleagues to join me in congratulating 

Ethan Monaghan for obtaining the Boy Scouts 

of America National Heroism Medal for Lifesaving and honoring Ethan’s devotion to his 

community and our country. 

f 

CONGRATULATING DR. ROBERT 

D’ALESSANDRI, THE 2008 ‘‘MAN 

OF THE YEAR’’ FOR THE COLUMBUS DAY ASSOCIATION OF 

LACKAWANNA COUNTY 

HON. PAUL E. KANJORSKI OF PENNSYLVANIA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Thursday, October 2, 2008 

Mr. KANJORSKI. Madam Speaker, I rise 

today to ask you and my esteemed colleagues 

in the House of Representatives to pay tribute 

to Dr. Robert D’Alessandri, president and 

dean of the Commonwealth Medical College in 

Scranton, Pennsylvania, who was named 

‘‘Man of the Year’’ by the Columbus Day Association of Lackawanna County. 

Dr. D’Alessandri was selected to be the first 

president and dean of the fledgling medical 

college where he serves as chief executive officer and chief academic officer. He comes to 

northeastern Pennsylvania following 18 years 

of experience in senior leadership positions at 

West Virginia University including 15 years as 

dean of the WVU School of Medicine. 

Instrumental in expanding health professional programs at WVU and establishing programs in occupational medicine and public 

health, he was also involved in the development of the Strategic Research Plan at the 

WVU Health Sciences Center, a $54 million 

investment in biomedical research and economic development. 

Dr. D’Alessandri faces the enormous challenge of establishing the region’s first medical 


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