[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 4]
[Senate]
[Page 5603]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           TOURETTE SYNDROME

  Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, I rise today to raise awareness of a 
complex neurological disorder affecting an estimated 200,000 Americans. 
Tourette Syndrome, TS, emerges in children, as young as 5 years old. 
Symptoms include ``tics,'' repeated involuntary noises or movement. 
Some adults with TS have learned to control their tics, or redirect 
them in other ways.
  I have not been knowledgeable on this subject. However, I recently 
had the pleasure of meeting a group of four--two mothers and two sons--
all dealing in some way with TS. Zach Pezzillo, a high school junior 
from Haiku, Maui, in my State of Hawaii, was diagnosed with TS at age 
7. After 2 years of misdiagnosis, Zach and his mother, Susannah 
Christy, were almost relieved to learn why Zach constantly sniffed. 
Zach was fortunate in that his tics were mild. He has become a well 
spoken young man, a gifted photographer, and a wonderful youth 
ambassador for the National Tourette Syndrome Association. I am sure 
much of his success is due in large part to his mother Susannah, whose 
support of her son's drive and openness with his affliction is 
noteworthy.
  I also had the pleasure of meeting Chris Schuette, a young man who, 
in his adulthood, has learned to control his tics so well that he was 
able to serve with AmeriCorps in 2007. His mother, Cynthia Schuette, 
heads the Northern California and Hawaii Chapter of the National 
Tourette Syndrome Association, and has been involved in educating the 
public about TS since her son, now 26, was diagnosed with the disorder 
nearly 20 years ago.
  Not all Americans with TS are as lucky as Zach and Chris. This is a 
disorder so largely misunderstood that Zach, after telling a 
neurologist about his TS, was challenged by this learned professional, 
who told him he must not have TS because she couldn't see any physical 
manifestations of his disorder. Such misinformation leads to 
misdiagnosis for children with TS. While the Centers for Disease 
Control, through necessary grant programs, continues its essential 
research into the causes of TS, we must do our part in educating 
ourselves and others about this disorder.

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