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00:00Oh, my God, thank you, honey. I had no idea I'd done so much.
00:04Oh, before I start, I would just like to say, I enjoy being a girl.
00:14I am so, I'm overwhelmed and delighted to share this stage
00:29with so many wonderful women.
00:33Actually, I'm here today to accept this on behalf of my dear friend, Dr. Nancy Wexler.
00:41She is the true recipient of this honor.
00:47I first got involved with the Hereditary Disease Foundation many years ago
00:51when I learned about it from Nancy's father, Dr. Milton Wexler, in Los Angeles.
00:58He established the foundation in 1968 after his wife, Lenore, was diagnosed with Huntington's disease,
01:08which meant that their daughters, Alice and Nancy, were also at risk.
01:15Huntington's is a disease. It's fatal.
01:19It's inherited brain disorder that causes progressive psychiatric changes,
01:26cognitive problems, and uncontrollable movements.
01:31It usually presents itself between ages 30 and 50,
01:36but it can strike as early as two years old or as old as 80.
01:42And each child of an afflicted parent has a 50% risk of inheriting the gene,
01:51which causes the disease, and currently there is no cure.
01:56Dr. Nancy Wexler led a team of medical researchers traveling to Venezuela from 1979 to 2002,
02:09which is an area that has the world's highest prevalence of Huntington's,
02:16where they gathered clinical data from thousands of patients and their families.
02:22And Nancy was tireless in her search for the gene that causes Huntington's.
02:29Well, in 1983, because of Nancy,
02:35the foundation miraculously identified the Huntington's disease gene using her clinical data.
02:45Now, this stunning discovery launched a genetic test for Huntington's,
02:50and it laid the foundation for all the following research of the disease.
02:56The foundation also advances research that directly impacts other diseases,
03:02like ALS, Parkinson's, and Alzheimer's.
03:06That's quite an achievement.
03:08Nancy found the gene, and because of that, someday they will find a cure.
03:15I'm...
03:21And I'm honored to be a member of the board and a supporter for 40 years.
03:26I want to thank Apple TV Plus and my Palm Royale family for being here today to support this cause,
03:36and thank you, Variety, for hosting this event celebrating the true power of women.
03:41And I would also like to acknowledge two ladies who are here,
03:47who represent the foundation, Megan Donaldson and Deborah Carrot.
03:53And this award, I want you to give this to Nancy.
04:05Nancy has been diagnosed with Huntington's after all these years.
04:13God bless you, Nancy. I love you.