| 1 | 1 | | SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 720 |
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| 2 | 2 | | WHEREAS, The observance of ALS Awareness Month in May 2023 |
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| 3 | 3 | | provides an opportunity to promote better understanding of |
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| 4 | 4 | | amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; and |
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| 5 | 5 | | WHEREAS, A neurodegenerative condition, ALS was first |
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| 6 | 6 | | identified by a French scientist in 1869, and the disease |
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| 7 | 7 | | garnered international attention 70 years later, when it ended |
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| 8 | 8 | | the career of beloved baseball player Lou Gehrig; often known as |
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| 9 | 9 | | Lou Gehrig's disease, it is characterized by degeneration of cell |
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| 10 | 10 | | bodies of the upper and lower motor neurons in the gray matter of |
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| 11 | 11 | | the anterior horn of the spinal cord; and |
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| 12 | 12 | | WHEREAS, Approximately 5,600 people in the United States |
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| 13 | 13 | | are diagnosed with ALS each year, and some 15 Americans are |
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| 14 | 14 | | diagnosed each day; in Texas, the ALS Association assisted more |
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| 15 | 15 | | than 1,500 individuals during 2022, estimated at 41 percent of |
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| 16 | 16 | | the state's ALS population; in addition, it benefited over 4,500 |
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| 17 | 17 | | family caregivers and young relatives with its support groups and |
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| 18 | 18 | | educational workshops; the association fights daily for people |
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| 19 | 19 | | living with ALS, advocating for them, empowering them, and |
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| 20 | 20 | | leading cutting-edge research to discover treatments and a cure; |
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| 21 | 21 | | since 2020, it has loaned more than $6 million of medical |
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| 22 | 22 | | equipment to Texans at no cost; it supports 13 multidisciplinary |
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| 23 | 23 | | clinics across the state offering a variety of resources; and |
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| 24 | 24 | | WHEREAS, During ALS Awareness Month 2023, the ALS |
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| 25 | 25 | | Association is celebrating the commencement of construction on |
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| 26 | 26 | | the $100 million Center for Brain Health at The University of |
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| 27 | 27 | | Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio; the center will |
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| 28 | 28 | | provide innovative, expert care of patients with ALS and other |
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| 29 | 29 | | neurologic conditions and help advance research as a clinical |
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| 30 | 30 | | trials facility; UT Health San Antonio's Neuromuscular Disorders |
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| 31 | 31 | | Program is already an ALS Association-Certified Treatment Center |
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| 32 | 32 | | of Excellence, and it is home to one of only 38 Muscular Dystrophy |
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| 33 | 33 | | Association/ALS Research Centers in the country; and |
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| 34 | 34 | | WHEREAS, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a serious and |
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| 35 | 35 | | life-threatening disease, and the observance of ALS Awareness |
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| 36 | 36 | | Month reaffirms our commitment to search for a cure and to |
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| 37 | 37 | | enhance quality of life for patients; now, therefore, be it |
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| 38 | 38 | | RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 88th |
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| 39 | 39 | | Legislature, hereby recognize May 2023 as ALS Awareness Month. |
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| 40 | 40 | | Menéndez |
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| 41 | 41 | | ________________________________ |
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| 42 | 42 | | President of the Senate |
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| 43 | 43 | | I hereby certify that the |
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| 44 | 44 | | above Resolution was adopted by |
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| 45 | 45 | | the Senate on May 28, 2023. |
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| 46 | 46 | | ________________________________ |
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| 47 | 47 | | Secretary of the Senate |
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| 48 | 48 | | ________________________________ |
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| 49 | 49 | | Member, Texas Senate |
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