That the Parliament commends Tony Pearson for his tireless efforts in raising awareness and funds for early diagnosis and treatment of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA); notes that his campaign follows the SMA diagnosis of his two-year-old daughter and highlights what it sees as the urgent need for newborn screening as part of the routine blood spot test at birth; understands that SMA is a leading genetic cause of infant mortality, with effective treatments that can significantly improve outcomes if given early; acknowledges Tony’s upcoming 43-mile fundraising walk from Glasgow to Edinburgh, which he aims to complete in a single day, with approximately 15 hours of non-stop walking, on 1 April 2025, which also marks the 40th anniversary of Spinal Muscular Atrophy UK; believes that Tony’s efforts to raise awareness of the need for SMA screening for newborn babies is an important part of the campaign to secure such screening as soon as possible, and wishes Tony every success in his fundraising and campaigning efforts.
Supported by:
Karen Adam, Jackie Baillie, Jeremy Balfour, Colin Beattie, Miles Briggs, Sharon Dowey, Jackie Dunbar, Annabelle Ewing, Bill Kidd, Monica Lennon, Fulton MacGregor, Rona Mackay, Ruth Maguire, Stuart McMillan, Marie McNair, Audrey Nicoll, Collette Stevenson, Kevin Stewart, Paul Sweeney, David Torrance, Evelyn Tweed, Tess White