Date: 2012-01-24
Speaker: AL GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. this weekend. I. along with my colleague Congresswoman SHEILA JACKSON LEE attended an event in Houston. Texas. It was styled "Byron Nash Live." This event was well attended. As I approached the venue. there were literally hundreds of people outside. Most of them were young people. and it was raining as I approached the venue. I did ask one of the young people if he was going to be able to go in. and I was told that there was an overflow crowd. that it was standing room only. and that as a result. he would have to stand outside. But he assured me that he would be there for the duration of the event. He was there for "Byron Nash Live." Byron Nash. a 24yearold comedian. was giving a performance. if you will. This performance was attended by his mother. Gwen Nash. his father. Michael Nash. his grandfather and grandmother. Reverend James and Mrs. Nash as well. This event was a lively event. Byron received several standing ovations. and his life was spoken of throughout the entirety of the event. This. in a sense. may have been his last performance in the physical world. for you see. Byron Nash made his transition. and this was his homegoing celebration. It was truly a celebration. There were many who did mourn his death. but we all were there to celebrate the life that he lived. His life. while it was short. was a meaningful life because the true measure of ones life is not how long one lives. but rather. what does one do with the time that God gives. In his short lifetime. Byron Nash made a very positive impression on a lot of young peoplea lot of older people as well. But I was proud to see so many young people in attendance. so many young people who were there to pay their last respects to a young man who lived a life that we were. of course. eager to celebrate. While his life is no longer in the physical world. we believe that his spiritual existence is one that we should celebrate continually. and we will remember him. There is good reason for his life to symbolize something. because he passed because of a rare type of cancer styled renal medullary carcinoma. As of 2009. there were 120 casesIm sure more since then. obviously more. but 120 cases. Victims of this type of cancer live 1 to 7 months. thereabout. Not a lot of empirical evidence has been acquired. This type of cancer seems to attack those who suffer from sickle cell. If his life can mean something to those who still live and symbolize something as we go forward. it should be that we must do more to fight this type of cancer. His grandfather has dedicated his life to a continuing effort to get the word out. get the message out that this type of cancer does claim the lives of young people. We can do more here in the Congress of the United States of America to help fight cancer in general and this specific type of cancer that is known to few. It is my hope that we will continue to allocate resources to fighting cancer such that this type of cancer can move to the front burner. Weve got to do more to prevent. to educate. and to make sure that cancer becomes a disease of the past in our lifetimes. It is my hope that Byron Nashs life would become the genesis for us to do more to fight not only cancer in general but for this specific type of cancer known as renal medullary carcinoma. I will leave these words with all of those who are within the sound of my voice here and those who may be viewing at home. and especially to his family: I want you to know that we will do all that we can to make sure that he not only lived a decent lifeas he did. and that is as recognizedbut also that we will do all that we can to fight this dreadful disease and bring it to an end.