SENATE MEMORIAL 82

49th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2009

INTRODUCED BY

Stuart Ingle

A MEMORIAL

HONORING THE LIFE OF PATTY JENNINGS AND THE COMMITMENT OF SENATOR TIM AND PATTY JENNINGS TO THE CAUSE OF BREAST CANCER RESEARCH BY DEDICATING THE BREAST CANCER RESEARCH AND OUTREACH PROGRAM IN THEIR NAMES.

     WHEREAS, the board of regents of the university of New Mexico has approved the statewide breast cancer research and outreach program at the university of New Mexico cancer center to be named "The Senator Tim and Patty Jennings Breast Cancer Research and Statewide Outreach Program"; and

     WHEREAS, Patricia K. "Patty" Jennings, wife of Senator Timothy Z. Jennings, passed away on February 14, 2009 after a four-year struggle with breast cancer; and

     WHEREAS, after her diagnosis, and upon becoming acquainted with several young women undergoing treatment for breast cancer, Patty and Tim became ardent advocates for those patients across the state and the nation who are suffering from this disease; and

     WHEREAS, they were particularly interested in patients afflicted with inflammatory breast cancer, a rare and aggressive form of cancer affecting primarily young women, from which very few survive and for which there is no effective therapy; and

     WHEREAS, originally diagnosed with this type of breast cancer, Patty later learned that she was the victim of a different, high-risk form of breast cancer; however, she vowed to continue to help the hundreds of young women whose lives are taken by inflammatory breast cancer every year; and

     WHEREAS, together, Patty and Senator Tim Jennings successfully lobbied for a bill to establish a partnership between the university of New Mexico cancer center and the university of Texas M.D. Anderson cancer center to conduct inflammatory breast cancer research; and

     WHEREAS, the New Mexico legislature unanimously passed Senate Bill 532 in 2007 that appropriated three million two hundred thousand dollars ($3,200,000) for this purpose; and

     WHEREAS, the Texas legislature quickly followed suit and contributed four million dollars ($4,000,000) to this new partnership; and 

     WHEREAS, through the Susan G. Komen breast cancer foundation, American airlines has committed an additional eight million dollars ($8,000,000) to the fund and has dedicated ten of their fleet to display the pink breast cancer ribbon to promote the cause of breast cancer research; and

     WHEREAS, this two-state, two national cancer institute certified cancer center collaboration is the first of its kind in the nation; and

     WHEREAS, the program is currently conducting critical research on inflammatory breast cancer; and

     WHEREAS, the program is also focused on developing and providing community-based breast cancer education, awareness and screening; and

     WHEREAS, the program is also developing a registry of all newly diagnosed breast cancer patients in the state; and

     WHEREAS, Patty Jennings, through her life and her death, has had an immeasurable impact on breast cancer care and research in New Mexico, securing hope for the future for women facing this terrible disease; and

     WHEREAS, Patty Jennings and Senator Tim Jennings have left a tremendous legacy for breast cancer research well into the future;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the life of Patty Jennings and the commitment of Senator Tim and Patty Jennings to the cause of breast cancer research be honored by the dedication of the statewide breast cancer research and outreach program at the university of New Mexico cancer center as "The Senator Tim and Patty Jennings Breast Cancer Research and Statewide Outreach Program"; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this memorial be transmitted to Senator Timothy Z. Jennings.

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