86R9155 BK-D
By: Wu H.R. No. 163
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Dr. Anh Nguyen Reiss passed away on February 26,
2016, at the age of 48 after realizing many exceptional
achievements as a doctor and as an advocate for bone marrow
donation; and
WHEREAS, A native of South Vietnam, Anh Reiss immigrated with
her family to the United States as a young girl and grew up in New
Orleans; she later relocated to Houston, where she graduated as
salutatorian of North Shore Senior High School and received her
undergraduate degree in economics from Rice University; after
earning her medical degree cum laude from the State University of
New York at Brooklyn, she began her medical practice at Memorial
Hermann Southwest Hospital; she went on to deliver thousands of
newborns over the course of her career as an obstetrician and
gynecologist, and she found great fulfillment in her work; and
WHEREAS, In 2009, Dr. Reiss was diagnosed with a
myelodysplastic syndrome, a preleukemic condition that can only be
cured with a bone marrow transplant; she faced great difficulty in
finding a donor match, due to the fact that people of Vietnamese
descent were among the least represented on the national bone
marrow registry; with the support of her family, including her
husband, Joshua, and two children, Alexandra and Aaron, she spread
the word in the Vietnamese American community about the need for
donations; the work of Dr. Reiss and her team of volunteers
ultimately helped more than double the number of registered
Vietnamese bone marrow donors; although Dr. Reiss succumbed to her
illness before her match was found, she was instrumental in
connecting numerous other patients with viable donors; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Anh Reiss made a positive difference in numerous
lives, and memories of her courage and commitment continue to
inspire those who are carrying on her quest to promote bone marrow
donation; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Dr. Anh Nguyen
Reiss and commend her outstanding efforts as a donation advocate;
and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for her family as an expression of high regard by the Texas
House of Representatives.