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| 5 | 6 | | |
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| 6 | 7 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 7 | 8 | | WHEREAS, Parkinson's disease is a chronic, progressive |
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| 8 | 9 | | neurological disease and the second most common neurodegenerative |
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| 9 | 10 | | condition in the United States; and |
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| 10 | 11 | | WHEREAS, The symptoms of Parkinson's disease can vary from |
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| 11 | 12 | | person to person and may include slowness of movement, rigidity, |
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| 12 | 13 | | gait and balance difficulties, and tremors; additionally, patients |
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| 13 | 14 | | may develop speech and swallowing disturbances, cognitive |
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| 14 | 15 | | impairment, dementia, mood disorders, and a range of other |
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| 15 | 16 | | symptoms; and |
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| 16 | 17 | | WHEREAS, While the exact cause of the condition in most |
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| 17 | 18 | | individuals is unknown, research suggests a combination of genetic |
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| 18 | 19 | | and environmental factors contributes to the development of |
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| 19 | 20 | | Parkinson's disease; there is no known cure and no drug that is |
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| 20 | 21 | | capable of slowing or halting the progression of the disease, and |
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| 21 | 22 | | available treatments are limited in their ability to address |
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| 22 | 23 | | patients' medical needs and to remain effective over time; and |
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| 23 | 24 | | WHEREAS, According to the Centers for Disease Control and |
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| 24 | 25 | | Prevention, complications of Parkinson's disease are the 14th |
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| 25 | 26 | | leading cause of death in the United States; beyond the toll on |
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| 26 | 27 | | those who suffer from the disease, its impact is felt by millions of |
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| 27 | 28 | | caregivers, family members, and friends who form the support |
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| 28 | 29 | | systems of people living with Parkinson's; and |
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| 29 | 30 | | WHEREAS, It is estimated that one million people in the U.S. |
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| 30 | 31 | | are living with Parkinson's, and the number of Americans affected |
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| 31 | 32 | | by the disease is expected to increase to 1.2 million by 2030; a |
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| 32 | 33 | | study conducted by the Michael J. Fox Foundation in 2019 found that |
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| 33 | 34 | | the annual economic impact of Parkinson's disease totals nearly $52 |
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| 34 | 35 | | billion in the U.S.; and |
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| 35 | 36 | | WHEREAS, Researchers and medical professionals, along with |
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| 36 | 37 | | caregivers and volunteers, are united in the fight against |
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| 37 | 38 | | Parkinson's disease and the search for a cure; interventions such |
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| 38 | 39 | | as physical and speech therapy are providing hope to people |
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| 39 | 40 | | affected by Parkinson's disease, but increased research, |
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| 40 | 41 | | education, and community support services are needed to find more |
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| 41 | 42 | | effective treatments and to ensure access to better care for |
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| 42 | 43 | | Parkinson's patients; and |
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| 43 | 44 | | WHEREAS, The observance of Parkinson's Awareness Month is a |
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| 44 | 45 | | time to renew our focus on improving the quality of life for |
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| 45 | 46 | | patients suffering from this debilitating disease, and it is indeed |
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| 46 | 47 | | fitting to recognize this worthwhile cause; now, therefore, be it |
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| 47 | 48 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas |
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| 48 | 49 | | Legislature hereby recognize April 2025 as Parkinson's Awareness |
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| 49 | 50 | | Month and commend all those who are working in behalf of Texans |
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| 50 | 51 | | living with Parkinson's disease. |
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