Betty Sutton

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and congratulate two outstanding public servants who have dedicated their lives to serving others and working for social justice in our community. Judges Thomas and Linda Teodosio will receive the 2012 Bishop Cosgrove Justice Award, which will be presented by the Catholic Commission of Summit County. This award is bestowed upon exemplary individuals and organizations that demonstrate a strong commitment to social justice in accordance with biblical values.

I have known the Teodosio family for many years and I am honored to call them my friends. Over the years, they have so generously given of their time, talent, and resources to numerous organizations in our community. What strikes me the most in this moment is how the Teodosios have chosen to use tragedy to make a positive impact. I will never forget where I was the day I learned of that terrible accident that took Andrea's life back in February 2011. Andrea Rose Teodosio was a beautiful woman whose kindness enveloped you like a warm ray of light. Her smile always beamed brightly.

Andrea lived her life with compassion and selflessness. She always looked for opportunities to help others, and would do so in a manner that preserved their dignity. Her mother, Linda, recounted a story of how Andrea at age 16 asked if she could give their pizza to a homeless man. Andrea tapped the man on the shoulder and said, ``My mom and I have all these packages and can't carry this pizza. Do you mind taking it?''

Andrea helped others, but never elevated herself in the process. She treated people with dignity.

Today, Andrea's memory and legacy lives on through the Andrea Rose Teodosio Foundation, which was established by Judges Thomas and Linda Teodosio and is administered by their son Christopher. Now, the Andrea Rose Foundation has already made a significant impact on the lives of so many. This organization works to demonstrate the values that Andrea held so dear--assisting the underprivileged and the elderly, actively addressing environmental issues, and promoting community service and education.

The Teodosio Family's service to our community is truly commendable and their example will continue to inspire others to give of their time, talent, and resources to those who are in need. Judges Tom and Linda Teodosio deserve our recognition and appreciation for their diligent work to bring the Andrea Rose Teodosio Foundation to fruition. I congratulate them both for receiving the 2012 Bishop Cosgrove Justice Award and thank them for all that they do to make our community stronger.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor an extraordinary individual who has tirelessly advocated to save the lives of children and others by getting life-saving automated external defibrillators, AEDs, placed in schools across the nation.

Dr. Terry Gordon is the 45th recipient of the Bert A. Polsky Humanitarian Award given out each year by the Akron Community Foundation to an individual or couple who best exemplifies selfless dedication to humanitarian causes in Akron, Ohio.

A Cleveland Clinic trained cardiologist, Dr. Gordon practiced invasive cardiology at Akron General Medical Center for over 21 years prior to his retirement. In 2000, while serving as President of the Summit County American Heart Association, a 15 year old football player at Barberton High School by the name of Josh Miller collapsed on the field and suffered sudden cardiac arrest. There was no AED on site and, sadly, Josh died of sudden cardiac arrest. The tragic loss of this young man full of promise was devastating to not only Josh's parents and family, but to the entire community.

Upon learning of this tragic loss of life and realizing the school did not have an AED on site, Dr. Gordon began raising funds to place AEDs in every junior and high school, making Summit County, Ohio, the first county of its size to do so and earning him the National Physician of the Year award for 2002 from the American Heart Association. His efforts also resulted in AEDs placed in every police, highway patrol and sheriff's vehicle in Summit County.

Dr. Gordon continued his advocacy at the state level, and in 2005 helped procure $2.5 million from the State of Ohio, which in partnership with the American Heart Association and Akron General Medical Center, placed over 2,200 AEDs in schools throughout Ohio. He later worked with the Ohio General Assembly to allocate an additional $2.5 million needed to complete the task of placing 4,500 devices in Ohio schools.

In 2007, I was proud to partner with Dr. Gordon on this important mission and introduced the Josh Miller HEARTS Act. Named after the Barberton High School football player who we lost to sudden cardiac arrest, the bill establishes a grant program to get automated external defibrillators into elementary and secondary schools across the nation. The Act passed the U.S. House of Representatives in both the 110th and 111th Congress and is pending action in the 112th Congress.

In addition to his work advocating for AEDs in schools, Dr. Gordon remains actively engaged in our community, serving on various volunteer boards. He was a founding member of Stewart's Caring Place, a facility of wellness for those with cancer and their loved ones. He has been a member of The Youth Motivational Task Force for many years, has been a long-standing board member of the American Heart Association and is co- host of `Docs Who Rock', a fundraiser for the Summit County United Way. Dr. Gordon is also an accomplished author, whose work includes the book No Storm Lasts Forever.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the selfless dedicated service of Dr. Terry Gordon and in congratulating him on receiving the 45th Polsky Humanitarian Award.

Mr. Speaker, due to problems with travel, I was unable to vote. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes'' on rollcall No. 537, ``yes'' on rollcall No. 538, and ``no'' on rollcall No. 539.