SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 720
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 State of Texas, 88th
Legislature, hereby recognize May 2023 as ALS Awareness Month.
Menéndez
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President of the Senate
I hereby certify that the
above Resolution was adopted by
the Senate on May 28, 2023.
________________________________
Secretary of the Senate
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Member, Texas Senate