00:00Yeah, that's a great question. Would you like to say something? I would. That's a good comment right there. That's the best comment you've made in a long time.
00:10Mr. President, good evening. I'm Josh Armstrong. My name is Josh Armstrong. I'm from West Virginia, and I'm the father of this amazingly brave and resilient little six-year-old Laurel. Laurel was diagnosed with leukemia when she was two years old, just before her third birthday.
00:24And we went on to watch as she spent months in the hospital fighting for her life, as she received blood transfusions and platelet transfusions, as she fought off one potentially fatal infection after another.
00:36We watched as her body swelled and became painful from steroids, and then as it became frail and weak from chemotherapy.
00:44And we watched and we wondered why there aren't better treatments available, and we wondered what might happen if she doesn't get the drugs she needs.
00:50And we wondered, why isn't anybody doing it? And on behalf of myself and all the parents that have watched and wondered, we'd like to say that what you're doing today gives parents like me and children like Laurel the one thing that we most desperately need, and that's hope.
01:07And Laurel is doing well.
01:08And Laurel is, I'm happy to say Laurel is in remission today.
01:11She looks so beautiful.
01:12Thank you. She is beautiful.
01:13Are you feeling good, Laurel?
01:14You look so great.
01:23Because of this bill, doctors are going to be able to get better treatments faster to patients like Laurel.
01:29And because of you making children like her real children, not cases or statistics with children like Laurel and all of these children here today, we have that hope.
01:38And we are so proud that you're standing with children with cancer. You're making it a national priority.
01:42That's very nice.
01:43Thank you, Mr. President.
01:44We're with you all the way.
01:45How about you? Back there, Dad?
01:48Actually, I'd like my daughter to speak.
01:50Oh, I'd like that much.
01:51Carolyn would like to speak. She's welcome.
01:52That's very good. I'd like you to speak.
01:55Good afternoon. My name is Carolyn Hendricks.
01:58When I was four years old, I was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma, a pediatric bone cancer.
02:03Eleven years later, I'm now 16 years old, and I'm doing great.
02:06What you're doing today, Mr. President, means that kids like me will get better options and so much more hope for the future.
02:14This will help doctors use technology to find cures faster, match patients to trials more quickly, and give our families more control over our health.
02:23For kids, every day counts.
02:25This order shows that our lives matter enough to be first in line for innovation.
02:29On behalf of children and young adults with cancer, those still fighting, and those in remission like me, and families who wish that they had more time together, thank you for making us a national priority.
02:43Mr. President, because of actions like this, kids like me have the chance to grow up, to chase our dreams, and to live full lives.
02:51And that is the greatest gift anyone could ever give.
02:53Wow. That was so good.
03:03I'm wondering if your father could not have done that like you.
03:04You did a great job.
03:05You did as a big service, father.
03:06Yes, sir.
03:07That's great.
03:08When did you learn how to speak like that?
03:10I've done lots of speeches for childhood cancer over the last few years, and I'm also in a theater program, so that helps a lot.
03:17That's great.
03:18Well, good.
03:19That's a great job.
03:20Would anybody like to say something?
03:21Would anybody?
03:22Yes.
03:23I'm Ilani Meyers.
03:24I'm nine years old, and I had a blood cancer called leukemia when I was only two years old.
03:31I had to get treated at seven different hospitals across this country.
03:37And I had to have two femoral transplants, one for my dad and one for my mom.
03:43And I had to spend many days and nights in the hospital getting pokies and yucky medicine.
03:49And me and my parents were very worried, and I had to go through those seven different hospitals to find the best treatment that can make me better.
03:58And thank you, Mr. President, for making everything happen today so kids like me and Laura, we can still be living today and speaking.
04:16They're doing better than any of us have done.
04:18We're doing lousy.
04:19We're not doing so well today.
04:21They're doing so good.
04:22That was fantastic.
04:24And you're feeling good now?
04:25Yes.
04:26Are you all better?
04:27Yes.
04:28You're pretty close, right?
04:29Yeah.
04:30Yeah.
04:31I hear you're going to do good.
04:32Anybody like to say something?
04:33Yes, sir.
04:34Go ahead.
04:35I've had a brain tumor since those four months.
04:38Now I'm off brain.
04:40I'm off home medicine.
04:41I'm a cancer survivor.
04:43I've had a brain tumor since those four months, and I'm doing great.
04:46I'm 15 now.
04:47I'm going to 10.
04:48And you're going to be a football player offensive lineman.
04:56You look fantastic.
04:57How about somebody else?
04:59I love hearing this.
05:00I love hearing you talk because you talk better than any of us, right, Jay?
05:04Thank you, Mr. President.
05:06Well, I want to thank you all for being here.
05:08Amazing.
05:09We want to miss this.
05:10Well, thank you.
05:11But, you know, we're going to, we're doing a lot for you, and we're going to, you're all
05:15going to be better very soon.
05:16I don't think you're going to need any of the help that we're giving.
05:19It's going to be for the future.
05:20But I want to thank you for being with us, and I'm going to bring them back to a room.
05:24We have a room where we have lots of hats and things in the back, and we're going to,
05:28would you like to go back and we'll pick some nice presents?
05:31Yes.
05:32Get rid of the wonderful people of the media.
05:35Do you like the media?
05:36Yeah, nice, right?
05:38They have good days, right?
05:41They do.
05:42Actually, they do.
05:43Thank you very much.
05:44That's beautiful.
05:45That's really good.
05:46And thank you.
05:47We're not going to top that, so I want to just thank you all very much.
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