September 15, 2020 - Issue: Vol. 166, No. 159 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 2nd Session

[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E841-E842]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   IN RECOGNITION OF THE LIFESAVING SERVICE OF DR. LAURENT DUVERNAY-
                              TARDIF, C.Q.

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. EMANUEL CLEAVER

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 15, 2020

  Mr. CLEAVER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the lifesaving 
service of Dr. Laurent Duvernay-Tardif. From his youth in Montreal to 
his football career in Kansas City, Dr. Duvernay-Tardif has proven 
himself to be a hero in more ways than one. His story is timely; it is 
instructive; and it is extraordinary.
  When Dr. Duvernay-Tardif helped bring the Lombardi Trophy back home 
to Kansas City after fifty long years, I did not think I could gain a 
deeper sense of admiration or gratitude for the Chiefs. Since then, 
however, that same sense of gratitude has grown even more profound. 
Today, it is my honor to join his teammates, Coach Andy Reid, and our 
great city in saying Merci, Docteur Duvernay-Tardif, for your vital and 
noble work fighting the deadly coronavirus pandemic on the frontlines.
  From watching college lectures at half-speed with an English 
dictionary in hand, to working as an NFL lineman while earning a 
medical degree, Dr. Duvernay-Tardif has spent his whole life defying 
expectations. When he graduated from McGill University Faculty of 
Medicine in May 2018 with a doctorate in medicine and master's in 
surgery, it had already been four years since he was drafted into the 
NFL just after assisting an emergency C-section. Since joining the NFL, 
he has worked overnights at the hospital, slept in the locker room 
wearing his scrubs, and never stopped putting forth the utmost effort 
for his team--whether under stadium lights or fluorescent medical 
lamps. Moreover, he has stepped up to make football a safer sport with 
his presence on the NFL's Health and Safety Committee and given back to 
his community through the LDT Foundation. And, of course, he also 
helped deliver a historic win to a grateful city. As I consider Dr. 
Duvernay-Tardif's remarkable story, I see an athlete in the O.R. and a 
surgeon on the field. In both, I see an indomitable spirit.
  And when the world called upon a new breed of soldier to fight an 
invisible threat, Dr. Duvernay-Tardif answered that call without 
hesitation. Even before securing a position at a healthcare facility, 
he was using his platform and expertise to inform and educate. Now, as 
an orderly at a long-term care facility, he is doing the unglamorous, 
lifesaving work of caring for and protecting those most vulnerable to 
this virus. Recently, in order to continue this critical work, he 
became the first professional football player to opt-out of the 
upcoming season. Like him, I support every player's personal decision 
on the matter. However, l must say that I see in his decision the same 
young man who, on a year-long sailing expedition, used to be summoned 
at midnight to take the helm while his family slept. He knows what it 
means to sail in the darkness of night, when there is nothing to guide 
you but your own radar.
  As a Chiefs super-fan, as a citizen, as one of millions across the 
globe staring down this specter, it is my honor to express in this 
forum how proud Dr. Duvernay-Tardif continues to make all of us in 
Kansas City. He guarded Patrick Mahomes, and now, he is guarding all of 
us. Madam Speaker, please join me and my constituents in Missouri's 5th 
District in wishing Dr. Duvernay-Tardif safety, health, and good 
fortune as he serves his community during this pandemic. I also want to 
assure

[[Page E842]]

him and his colleagues across the country that I will do everything I 
can to be a voice for the urgent needs of the medical community in the 
halls of Congress. In fact, let us all join in that pledge. Heroes like 
Dr. Duvernay-Tardif are on the line, helmet-to-helmet with this threat, 
standing between us and total catastrophe. They are guarding us so that 
we can do our jobs. It is the end of the fourth quarter, we have no 
more time-outs, and our team has come to a standstill. We have had a 
play on the books since May, and it is time to put it in the field 
because time is running out. Dr. Duvernay-Tardif is fighting for our 
lives. It is time we had his back.

                          ____________________