By Hardcastle                                          H.R. No. 435
         77R8546 MMS-D                           
                                 R E S O L U T I O N
 1-1           WHEREAS, Amanda Coats, the young daughter of Lucrezia and
 1-2     Lynn Coats of Childress, has been diagnosed with Rett Syndrome
 1-3     (RS), and in selflessly sharing their daughter's story with others,
 1-4     Mr. and Mrs. Coats have helped to ensure that the public will
 1-5     become better-informed about this serious illness; and
 1-6           WHEREAS, Rett Syndrome is a neurological condition that is
 1-7     found primarily in girls; striking children between the ages of 6
 1-8     and 18 months, it stops or reverses development, causing a loss of
 1-9     speech and motor control; estimated to affect some 200,000 persons
1-10     worldwide, it is often mistaken for autism or cerebral palsy; and
1-11           WHEREAS, Amanda began to exhibit symptoms of Rett Syndrome
1-12     during her second year, but it was not until after innumerable
1-13     doctor visits and many misdiagnoses that she received a definitive
1-14     assessment at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston; now she is one
1-15     of 30 girls involved in an RS study at the college; and
1-16           WHEREAS, Named for Dr. Andreas Rett of Vienna, Austria, who
1-17     first published discussions of the condition in the mid-1900s, RS
1-18     was not described in an English-language article until 1983;
1-19     genetic research has been impeded by the fact that RS is inherited
1-20     in only 0.5 percent of cases, but in 1999 scientists scored a
1-21     crucial breakthrough:  the laboratories of Drs. Huda Zoghbi and Uta
1-22     Francke, Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigators working with
1-23     grants from the National Institute for Child Health and Human
1-24     Development and the International Rett Syndrome Association (IRSA),
 2-1     succeeded in identifying the defective gene that causes Rett
 2-2     Syndrome; and
 2-3           WHEREAS, The discovery of this gene has encouraged other
 2-4     scientists to focus on RS; in the United States, more than $15
 2-5     million for RS study has been allocated by congress, and two
 2-6     research centers are now working on the disease:  The Blue Bird
 2-7     Circle Rett Center at Baylor College of Medicine and the Kennedy
 2-8     Krieger Institute in Baltimore, Maryland; two nonprofit
 2-9     organizations, the IRSA and the Rett Syndrome Research Foundation,
2-10     support the investigation of RS in a number of ways; and
2-11           WHEREAS, While the struggle to conquer RS will be long and
2-12     arduous, the acceleration of research holds out hope for continuing
2-13     gains; already, location of the defective gene has made it possible
2-14     to diagnose the syndrome more easily, and in time it may also be
2-15     possible to forestall the syndrome's disabling effects; in the
2-16     meantime, researchers are working to improve life for those who
2-17     have the disease; and
2-18           WHEREAS, Many initiatives to raise awareness of Rett Syndrome
2-19     have recently been launched; Silent Angels, a documentary narrated
2-20     by Rett activist Julia Roberts, aired on the Discovery Health
2-21     Channel in August 2000, and for the last several years October has
2-22     been designated Rett Syndrome Awareness Month; throughout the year
2-23     numerous individuals organize educational and fund-raising events,
2-24     such as the Run for Rett, and the International Rett Syndrome
2-25     Association makes a significant contribution through its public
2-26     outreach, offering critical support to those affected by RS, and
2-27     working to further medical understanding and therapeutic care; and
 3-1           WHEREAS, Amanda Coats and her family are embarking on a
 3-2     challenging journey, and as the quest for greater knowledge and
 3-3     improved treatment continues, they are indeed deserving of our deep
 3-4     respect and wholehearted support; now, therefore, be it
 3-5           RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 77th Texas
 3-6     Legislature hereby honor Amanda Coats and her parents, Lynn and
 3-7     Lucrezia Coats, for their extraordinary contributions in behalf of
 3-8     Rett Syndrome patients and their families and extend to them
 3-9     sincere best wishes for the years ahead; and, be it further
3-10           RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
3-11     prepared for Amanda Coats and her family as an expression of high
3-12     regard by the Texas House of Representatives.