congressional_record: CREC-1996-10-21-pt1-PgE1937-2
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| CREC-1996-10-21-pt1-PgE1937-2 | 1996-10-21 | 104 | 2 | ``I AM ME'' | HOUSE | EXTENSIONS | ALLOTHER | E1937 | E1938 | [{"name": "James L. Oberstar", "role": "speaking"}] | 142 Cong. Rec. E1937 | Congressional Record, Volume 142 Issue 143 (Monday, October 21, 1996) [Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 143 (Monday, October 21, 1996)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Pages E1937-E1938] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] ``I AM ME'' ______ HON. JAMES L. OBERSTAR of minnesota in the house of representatives Monday, October 21, 1996 Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to share with my colleagues the national award winning essay of Arlene Helderman from International Falls, MN. I offer Arlen's superb presentation, ``I Am Me'' to serve as an enlightened statement to the Nation on the sanctity of human life. I want to offer my profound congratulations to Arlene and the Koochiching County Right-to-Life Committee and the Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life organization for their sponsorship of this annual competition. I Am Me (Pro-Life Speech by Arlene Helderman) I am me. In all the world, there is no one else exactly like me. There are persons who have some parts like me, But no one adds up like me, Therefore, everything that comes out of me, Is authentically mine, because I alone chose it. I own everything about me: My body--including everything it does, My mind--including all its thoughts and ideas, My eyes--including all the images they behold, My feelings--whatever they may be, And all of my actions--whether they be to others or to myself. I own my fantasies, my dreams, my hopes, my fears. I own all my triumphs and successes, all my failures and mistakes. I own me, and therefore I engineer me, To work in my best interests, I can see, hear, feel, think, say and do. I am me. I am here today to talk about life. I am here, I am alive, and I am me because of a choice my mother made. Her choice is what accounts for many of the decisions I make now, because of the love present in her choice. I am me because my mom chose life. Everything that makes me me, was decided at conception, when forty-six human chromosomes laid out my genetic code. All characteristics were then determined, such as sex, eye color, shoe size, intelligence--many characteristics we now take for granted. But it was then that they were laid out, to create the me that I am. Only twelve weeks later during my precious development, I had the ability to experience pain-- the same pain I would one day experience at age twelve, when I would clumsily break my nose, I had tiny fingernails--the same fingernails I would paint so precariously years later, the night before my first formal dance. And my feet were perfectly shaped by this time--the same feet that I use now, to flex and point and dance and leap during my gymnastics routines. It's amazing, but at an early six weeks of my development, I had brain waves--brain waves that today enable me to create stories for English and calculate statistics for Math. And at an unbelievable three weeks, I had a heartbeat--the same heart which beats at seventeen, in anticipation of future dreams and aspirations. I am me, whether it be then or now. But I am only me because my mom chose life. The story of my mother's choice to keep my life is like no story you have ever heard, and you will probably never hear another quite like it. Everything was so normal. My mother was twenty-nine years old, and she and my father were a young couple with a four- year-old little girl, a white house, (with no picket fence), but picture perfect in their eyes. As springtime neared, she discovered she was pregnant with her second child, which was good news. The first couple months went well, and she had lots of energy. But as time crept on into summer, she felt tired all the time and became ill with bronchitis. She started to lose weight, and she constantly prayed for the doctors to find out exactly what was wrong with her. After many tests and many wrong answers, the doctors diagnosed my mother with leukemia. The doctors told her it was crucial to start chemotherapy treatments right away, because she would only live six weeks without them. Unfortunately, they also said the baby would not survive with the treatment, and that her best chance would be to abort the unborn child. It was fall, a time when things die naturally--leaves, flowers, grass; but what about--unnaturally? My mother had started her fifth month. She could feel the baby move inside her and it was like someone was trying to tear her heart out. She had to make a choice. Did she want to destroy her baby so she could have a greater chance at living, or did she want to continue on and hope, only to be told she'd have a greater chance at dying? Despite her threatening condition, she chose life. In the next month, my mother experienced more pain than most people could ever imagine. She had a bone marrow test taken, a test so painful, that my petite mother, tore a metal railing from the hospital bed in the midst of her agony. She endured over twenty shots a day, forced herself to eat for the sake of her baby, was hooked up to IV's, and lost so much weight, that even at five months pregnant she only weighed eighty pounds. She endured so much pain, and she did it all for me. I don't know how I can ever thank my mom for the sacrifices she made for me, but the faith and love she had in me is something that will live in my heart, forever. Another month passed, and my mother was feeling a little better. At seven months of the pregnancy, November twenty- fifth started out like any other day. She was weighed, and her IV's were changed, but by ten o'clock that morning, she was starting labor. The Doctors explained that most likely the baby would not survive, and for her safety, my mother should be flown to a larger hospital with better medical facilities. The hospital in her small town did not have the proper equipment if the baby was to survive. And so, although my mom persisted there was not enough time to make it to the hospital, they boarded her, a nurse, and a pilot onto a small air ambulance for an unforgettable journey. Halfway to the hospital I was born and I could not breathe. The nurse encouraged my mom to pray as she gave me resuscitation to try and keep me alive. The pilot radioed ahead for ambulances and to the hospital so everyone was ready for my arrival. The rest of the flight, forty minutes, was the longest forty minutes in my mother's life; but as we neared the landing, she thought she saw my tiny lip quiver, and it gave her hope. For days, I was placed on oxygen to breathe, and time pressed on with the unavoidable question of survival. The doctors again said it did not look promising. They suggested to my parents to pick a name for me, therefore I was named after the nurse-Arlene, and the pilot-Frances, who were both so courageous during my birth. I was hooked up to oxygen and heart machines, and there were so many IV's in my tiny arm, that at fourteen inches long, two and half pounds, you could barely see me under all that equipment. When my mom entered the intensive care unit I was in, my heart monitor became extremely active, perhaps because I could feel her presence. It was then that my mom knew I would be okay. After two months in an incubator, and weighing in at five pounds, I went home to a family that was anxiously waiting my arrival. My mom endured three more years of chemotherapy treatment. To this day, there is not a single trace of cancer in her body. Despite all of the odds and even when it looked like it couldn't get any worse, my mom and I broke medical history. We are alive, and we did it together. [[Page E1938]] And today, because my mom chose life, I am me. My mom was given practically no chance, but she still underwent painful experiences, emotionally and physically, to give me life. I am who I am today, because of her. She had to make a choice. And she chose me! Because of the enormous obstacles overcome in my struggle, many people have deemed my birth to be a miracle. However, I have learned that life itself, is truly the miracle. Sometimes I forget how precious life is and we all tend to overlook the magic of every day. But then I remember. I remember that there are children not as fortunate as I am. I remember the dream that lies in every moment, and the expectation born in every thought. I remember that I am me. But most importantly, I remember the day I learned to fully appreciate the value of life. It was the day when my mom told me that the result of her choice had turned out to be priceless! ____________________ |