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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS, better known |
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as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a fatal debilitating disease |
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characterized by the degeneration of motor nerve cells in the brain |
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and spinal cord; and |
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WHEREAS, The initial symptom of ALS is often weakness of the |
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skeletal muscles, especially those of the extremities; as ALS |
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progresses and muscle atrophy worsens, the patient experiences |
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difficulty swallowing, talking, and breathing; because ALS does not |
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commonly affect mental capacity, sufferers remain alert and aware |
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of their loss of motor control and the inevitable outcome of |
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continued deterioration; and |
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WHEREAS, ALS affects roughly 30,000 Americans, with slightly |
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more than 5,600 diagnosed each year; there is no known cause, means |
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of prevention, or cure, and on average, patients only survive two to |
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five years from the time of diagnosis; and |
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WHEREAS, Studies have indicated that military veterans are |
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approximately twice as likely to develop ALS as those who have not |
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served; in light of this finding, the Department of Veterans |
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Affairs implemented a presumption of service connection for ALS, |
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thereby concluding that the development of the disease could be |
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incurred or aggravated by a person's service in the military; and |
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WHEREAS, Through a number of initiatives, researchers are |
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investigating possible causes and treatments for ALS, and one |
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related endeavor is a national patient registry; administered by |
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the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the registry is |
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currently identifying cases in the United States and may become the |
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single largest ALS research project ever undertaken; and |
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WHEREAS, During May 2013, health and advocacy organizations |
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nationwide are observing Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Awareness |
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Month with a variety of activities to raise awareness of the |
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profound impact that ALS has on patients, their families, and their |
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communities and to recognize and support the important research |
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being conducted to end this devastating disease; now, therefore, be |
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it |
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RESOLVED, That the 83rd Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby designate May 2013 as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis |
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Awareness Month in Texas. |