Political Quotes

“I would like to talk about a genetic condition called Usher syndrome. Usher syndrome is a rare genetic disease that affects at least 25,000 people in the United States. Usher syndrome causes deafness or hearing loss, as well as a retinal disease that progressively leads to blindness. Some children may be diagnosed at birth, while others are diagnosed at later stages of adolescence, affecting education, employment, and quality of life. Usher type 1 individuals are born deaf and then learn, often before adolescence, that they are also losing their vision. Usher type 2 individuals are born with moderate to severe hearing loss and then in the prime of their adolescent lives are told that they are losing their vision. Usher type 3 are usually diagnosed during adolescence, leading to the slow loss of both hearing and vision. At present, there are no treatments or cure for Usher syndrome, but that could change with awareness and support. Finding a cure has never been more urgent or more achievable. Promising research and positive clinical trials are occurring right now at universities, medical centers, and private laboratories across the country. Even though there is currently no cure for Usher syndrome, I am proud that Oregonian researchers are leading the way searching for treatments and therapies.…”