Page 55 - Lauren Lolo Spencer Issue

2017 DC Hearing Michelle Sie Whitten, Dr. Joaquin Espinosa and Frank Stephens
That has been a huge win for our communities towards our two goals of elongating life and improving health outcomes.
This is very much congressional effort. While we have wonderful champions at NIH, and I do think there’s been a sea change where they’re embracing the INCLUDE program, it is still congressional directive and each year we are in DC advocating with our amaz- ing self-advocates and families for appropriated funds. It’s hard work but it’s the key to elongating life and improving health outcomes for our loved ones with Down syndrome.
I think I should mention some of our other Congres- sional Champions in addition to Representatives Rosa DeLauro and Tom Cole. There’s Cathy McMorris Rodgers, whose son Cole, happens to have Down syn- drome, and she has been on this journey with us from beginning. This year our AcceptAbility Gala honored Congressman Pete Stauber, whose son Isaac has Down syndrome, and Democratic Whip Katherine Clark with GLOBAL’s highest honor, the Quincy Jones Exception- al Advocacy Award. Every year we honor one republi- can and one democrat. And we are creating two new awards, Chet and Lia—
We also have our own Senator Hickenlooper now, he used to be our governor and mayor. He is a huge advo- cate along with Senators Michael Bennet and Chris Van Hollen. And then on the other side of the aisle, we have Senator Steve Daines and Senator Jerry Moran.
Cooper: That’s the name of the awards, Chet and Lia? (Laughter)
We also have amazing artists perform at our Accept- Ability Gala each year. This year we had GRAMMY© nominated, multi-platinum singer-songwriter Gavin DeGraw and he was beyond spectacular! At one point he got down from the stage into the audience and asked a self-advocate, Eric, what his favorite song was. And to everyone’s surprise he got a 2nd microphone and sang “With a Little Help from My Friends” by the Bea- tles with Eric and it sounded great because he somehow worked his magic!
Whitten: No, no. One is the Tom Cole GLOBAL Advancement Award, and one is the Rosa DeLauro GLOBAL Advancement Award. That is to acknowl- edge these two Congressional Champions in particular, are responsible for establishment of the INCLUDE Down syndrome research funding program at NIH and the increase in that funding.
We also had one of our favorite football players with
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