88R33402 KSM-D
By: Menéndez S.R. No. 720
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The observance of ALS Awareness Month in May 2023
provides an opportunity to promote better understanding of
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; and
WHEREAS, A neurodegenerative condition, ALS was first
identified by a French scientist in 1869, and the disease garnered
international attention 70 years later, when it ended the career of
beloved baseball player Lou Gehrig; often known as Lou Gehrig's
disease, it is characterized by degeneration of cell bodies of the
upper and lower motor neurons in the gray matter of the anterior
horn of the spinal cord; and
WHEREAS, Approximately 5,600 people in the United States are
diagnosed with ALS each year, and some 15 Americans are diagnosed
each day; in Texas, the ALS Association assisted more than 1,500
individuals during 2022, estimated at 41 percent of the state's ALS
population; in addition, it benefited over 4,500 family caregivers
and young relatives with its support groups and educational
workshops; the association fights daily for people living with ALS,
advocating for them, empowering them, and leading cutting-edge
research to discover treatments and a cure; since 2020, it has
loaned more than $6 million of medical equipment to Texans at no
cost; it supports 13 multidisciplinary clinics across the state
offering a variety of resources; and
WHEREAS, During ALS Awareness Month 2023, the ALS Association
is celebrating the commencement of construction on the $100 million
Center for Brain Health at The University of Texas Health Science
Center at San Antonio; the center will provide innovative, expert
care of patients with ALS and other neurologic conditions and help
advance research as a clinical trials facility; UT Health
San Antonio's Neuromuscular Disorders Program is already an ALS
Association-Certified Treatment Center of Excellence, and it is
home to one of only 38 Muscular Dystrophy Association/ALS Research
Centers in the country; and
WHEREAS, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a serious and
life-threatening disease, and the observance of ALS Awareness Month
reaffirms our commitment to search for a cure and to enhance quality
of life for patients; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the 88th Texas Legislature
hereby recognize May 2023 as ALS Awareness Month.