Today we applaud the United States House of Representatives for passing the
Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Act (CDRPA - Title XIV of H.R.146), included in the Omnibus Public
Land Management Act. The legislation was named for the late Christopher Reeve
and his wife Dana, whose courage and grace in the face of adversity, coupled
with their extraordinary activism, were an inspiration to millions around the
world.
The landmark legislation, which enjoyed bi-partisan support and passed in the
Senate on January 15, 2009 will promote collaborative research, rehabilitation
and quality of life initiatives for millions of Americans living with paralysis
and spinal cord injuries.
Today is a day of celebration for the paralysis community and we commend
Congress for quickly passing this much needed legislation, which honors the
spirit and legacy of Christopher and Dana Reeve. There is no better tribute to
their dedicated efforts, and they would be so proud, yet humbled, to see this
tremendous achievement. We look forward to the President signing this bill into
law.
On behalf of the Reeve Foundation and millions of Americans living with
paralysis, I would like to thank Congresswomen Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Mary
Bono Mack (R-CA) as well as Congressmen Jim Langevin (D-RI) and Gus Bilirakis
(R-FL) for initially sponsoring this important health bill and for their
tireless efforts.Their extraordinary leadership and dedication was instrumental
in passing this historic legislation.
"Passage of this bill today is extremely gratifying," said Congresswoman
Tammy Baldwin (D-WI). "We honor the activism of Christopher and Dana Reeve with
this bipartisan effort to better treat and, we hope, cure paralysis and other
serious motor impairments. Chris and Dana used their visibility to work on
behalf of families in all parts of the country who face the challenges of
paralysis and impaired mobility. This legislation is part of their legacy,"
Baldwin said. Ms. Baldwin introduced the bill on January 8, 2009 along with
co-sponsors Bono Mack, Langevin and Bilirakis.
The Reeve Foundation is especially grateful to former Congressman Michael
Bilirakis (R-FL) who was the bill's original sponsor and first introduced it in
2002. Today his son Gus Bilirakis, who holds the same seat, is carrying out his
father's mission and has been vital to the final passage of this landmark
legislation.
The Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Act will improve the quality of life
for people living with paralysis and mobility impairments from any cause –
stroke, ALS, spinal cord injuries and others. It encourages coordination of
research to prevent redundancies and hasten discovery of better treatments and
cures, as well as to improve the daily lives for those living with paralysis.
The Act has three components that support and enhance paralysis research,
rehabilitation, and quality of life programs:
- Paralysis Research
- Expands research on paralysis at the
National Institutes of Health (NIH). This will encourage collaborative research
by connecting scientists conducting similar work to further enhance
understanding and speed discovery of better treatments and cures.
- Paralysis Rehabilitation and Care
- Builds on research to
enhance daily function for people with paralysis, including a Clinical Trials
Network, to measure effectiveness of certain rehabilitation tactics and
encouraging shared findings on paralysis to improve rehabilitation.
- Improving Quality of Life for Persons with Paralysis and Other
Physical Disabilities
- Works with the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) to improve the quality of life and long-term health status of
persons with paralysis and other physical disabilities.
We cannot thank you, our advocates, enough for all your support during this
process.
Peter T.
Wilderotter
President and CEO
