88R33067 AMB-D
 
  By: Button H.R. No. 2371
 
 
 
R E S O L U T I O N
         WHEREAS, The friends and family of McCarley Jean Rutledge,
  who passed away on November 24, 2021, at the age of 27, will forever
  remember her as a passionate champion for good in this world; and
         WHEREAS, Carley Rutledge was born on May 10, 1994, to John and
  Laura Rutledge in Fort Worth, and her childhood was spent exploring
  the woods behind her house, performing skits with her siblings and
  friends, and participating in family game nights that inevitably
  descended into giddy chaos; and
         WHEREAS, Although Ms. Rutledge's teenage years were
  interrupted by a stage 4 Ewing Sarcoma diagnosis, she continued to
  live her teenage life by going to concerts and parties and inviting
  friends to the teen room at the hospital to hang out; she had a knack
  for taking what scraps life gave her and fashioning them into
  beautiful moments; her habit of bringing decorations and home
  comforts along on her many hospital stays inspired Carley's Closet,
  a service that donates similar items to young adult cancer patients
  in 13 hospitals across Texas; and
         WHEREAS, Two years into her cancer journey, Ms. Rutledge
  enrolled in college at the University of Colorado Boulder and
  blazed a trail as the first Ewing patient to receive a promising
  cancer vaccine that other Ewing patients benefited from; she grew
  from a bright-eyed college girl into a woman full of opinions,
  interests, and passion, and she immersed herself in politics,
  cooking, gardening, running, and travel; and
         WHEREAS, After eight years, her cancer returned in her spine,
  and following two debilitating surgeries, she spent months learning
  to walk again; she continued excelling at her job and created a
  popular podcast with her best friend from high school, Monica
  Moser, called TX Forever; she went scuba diving in the Blue Hole in
  Belize and ran a 10K just months after regaining her ability to
  walk; her time was also spent in Red River, New Mexico, with her
  family, often curled in an armchair with a huge book in her lap; she
  giggled and played with her beloved niece and nephews, and she drove
  from Denver to Central Texas to celebrate her grandmother's
  birthday, all while undergoing chemo treatments; and
         WHEREAS, Ms. Rutledge was an icon of hope in the cancer
  community; she shared her story on behalf of the Rutledge Cancer
  Foundation and encouraged countless other patients; furthermore,
  she testified movingly before both the Colorado and Texas state
  legislatures to advocate for insurance coverage of fertility
  preservation treatments for young adult cancer patients; and
         WHEREAS, Carley Rutledge lived each moment to the fullest and
  met every obstacle with grace and strength, and she left an
  indelible mark on all those who were fortunate enough to share in
  the richness of her life; now, therefore, be it
         RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas
  Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of McCarley Jean
  Rutledge and extend heartfelt sympathy to her parents, John and
  Laura Rutledge, and to her many other relatives and friends; and, be
  it further
         RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
  prepared for her family and that when the Texas House of
  Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Carley
  Rutledge.