South Carolina General Assembly
123rd Session, 2019-2020

Download This Version in Microsoft Word format

Bill 5415


Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter


(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

A HOUSE RESOLUTION

TO RECOGNIZE AND HONOR ABIGAIL JO "ABBY JO" SCRUGGS, A STUDENT AT CHESNEE HIGH SCHOOL IN SPARTANBURG COUNTY, AND TO CONGRATULATE HER ON BEING NAMED PRESIDENT OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA BETA CLUB.

Whereas, the South Carolina House of Representatives is pleased to learn that Abby Jo Scruggs has been elected president of the South Carolina Beta Club; and

Whereas, president of the Chesnee High Beta Club, she attended the South Carolina Beta Club Convention where she ran for president and won. She plans to attend the National Beta Club Convention in Texas this summer to run for national president; and

Whereas, her Beta Club presidential slogan advises, "Don't Go With the Flow, Just Keep Swimming." No matter what life throws at people, she encourages them not to get swept away by the current, but to keep swimming, keep going, because they might just change the tide; and

Whereas, sixteen-year-old Abby Jo Scruggs changes the tide everywhere she goes even though she has had some staggering currents to swim against in her life; and

Whereas, recently chosen as a Global Ambassador by the Vascular Birthmarks Foundation for her own awareness campaign, Abby Jo was diagnosed when she was born with Sturge Weber Syndrome due to the placement of her birthmark; and

Whereas, Abby Jo's birthmark is a Port Wine Stain that covers the left side of her face, from her lower lid down to her chest and wraps around her neck and scalp in the back of her head; and

Whereas, after multiple MRI's over several years, the Sturge Weber Syndrome diagnosis was reversed because there was no brain involvement; and

Whereas, since Abby Jo was six months old, she has had pulse dye laser treatments under general anesthesia several times a year and will continue to have her eyes checked for glaucoma every six months for the rest of her life; and

Whereas, all of these medical issues take a lot of time for an active teenager, but her response to them all has been to continue to swim. She takes voice lessons at a local college and plays cello in the orchestra, piano, guitar, and banjo. She takes honors classes at Chesnee High School and has been on the student council every year; and

Whereas, Abby Jo sings at various venues and churches in her area and has been in pageants for the last three years. A passionate advocate for children with vascular birth marks, she was named Miss Palmetto Teen 2020, and Spartanburg School District 2 named her a D2 Difference Maker; and

Whereas, the South Carolina House of Representatives values the unwavering determination of Abby Jo Scruggs, and the members look to hear of her continued accomplishments in the days ahead. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives:

That the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives, by this resolution, recognize and honor Abigail Jo "Abby Jo" Scruggs, a student at Chesnee High School in Spartanburg County, and congratulate her on being named president of the South Carolina Beta Club.

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be presented to Abigail Jo "Abby Jo" Scruggs.

----XX----

This web page was last updated on March 19, 2020 at 2:01 PM