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SENATE RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, Coats' Disease Awareness Day is taking place on |
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August 17, 2023, and this occasion provides a fitting opportunity |
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to promote better understanding of this health issue; and |
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WHEREAS, Coats' disease is a rare retinal disorder that |
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primarily affects male infants, young children, and teenagers as |
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well as a smaller number of adults; the disease causes blood |
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vessels in one or both eyes to develop abnormally, resulting in |
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the leakage of fluid into the back of the eye and can lead to |
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vision loss; early signs and symptoms of the condition may |
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include eye turning outward or inward, loss of depth perception, |
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and sometimes a yellow reflex from the pupil behind the lens of |
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the eye; over time, the disorder may lead to retinal |
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detachment, blindness, and the loss of the eye; and |
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WHEREAS, The disease is classified as an orphan disease, |
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or one that affects a relatively small number of individuals; |
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however, thousands of people across Texas and the United States |
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have been diagnosed with the condition, and many others have |
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received a misdiagnosis; the cause of the disease is unknown, and |
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early detection and intervention can dramatically improve |
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outcomes; depending on the severity of the disorder, health care |
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professionals may recommend treatments such as cryotherapy, |
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laser surgery, or the removal of the affected eye; and |
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WHEREAS, Across the Lone Star State, government officials, |
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medical professionals, academic institutions, and members of the |
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general public are taking action to raise awareness of Coats' |
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disease, to call attention to the need for more research, and to |
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highlight the importance of early diagnosis and treatment so that |
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an individual's vision may be saved; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the Senate of the 88th Texas Legislature |
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hereby recognize August 17, 2023, as Coats' Disease Awareness Day |
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and urge all Texans to learn more about the disorder. |