TRIBUTE TO MS. BARBARA BROWN'S EFFORTS FOR PROSTATE CANCER AWARENESS

HON. CHARLES W. STENHOLM OF TEXAS

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Thursday, September 23, 1999

Mr. STENH0LM. Mr. Speaker. I rise today to pay tribute to Barbara Brown of Coleman. Texas who is crusading for increased awareness of prostate cancer in honor of her late father. Carl Houston Hale, of West Memphis, Arkansas, who lost his life to this cancer on December 12, 1997. Known as a silent killer, prostate cancer will affect over 175,000 men in the United States this year. Today alone, approximately 100 men will die from this disease, and in one year over 37,000 will be lost as well. Excluding skin cancer, cancer of the prostate is the most common malignancy and the second leading cause of death among men in the United States. The risk of prostate cancer increases with age: more than 80% of all prostate tumors are diagnosed in men over age 65. And while 1 in 5 men will develop prostate cancer in their lifetime, we still know far too little about the cause and behavior of this silent killer. Clearly, it is a national problem that has a severe impact on our nation.

In her younger years, Barbara sang in Gospel groups, and dreamed of recording her own album. Through the grief of her father she wrote two songs, "Resting In the Arms of the Lord" and "Wind That Blows From Heaven," in an effort to cope with the overwhelming emotion of losing her father. These two songs eventually led to the recording of her first album in March 1998, entitled "Resting In the Arms of the Lord." With this Barbara achieved a life-long aspiration amidst unfortunate circumstances, and she is committed to donating a part of her tapes' proceeds to the American Cancer Society. As each tape is sold, a part of her father's life and his memory touches the lives of so many others, all while working towards the ultimate goal of a cure.

Additionally Barbara has devoted her life to bringing more awareness to this disease by urging men to seek regular check-ups and treatment if necessary. At Barbara's urging, the Coleman County Commissioners Court passed a proclamation declaring September 21st through September 27th as Prostate Cancer Awareness Week and advocating all to be aware of prostate cancer. With this proclamation, countless lives could be saved. Barbara also has plans to continue to promote awareness of this disease in the community of Coleman as well as surrounding areas by hosting various on-going promotional events raising money for the American Cancer Society.

I close by using Barbara's words which I believe have distinguished her as a heroic woman: "Out of our pain comes some of our greatest accomplishments. As I continue to educate men on this disease, hopefully it will prevent another person from having to face this needless pain. I have a responsibility to do this: in honor of my father's memory."

I ask that all of my colleagues join me in honoring Barbara for her efforts, and I encourage all Americans to take that crucial step of participating in important health screenings and visiting your doctor regarding health concerns. Early detection is critical for survival.