内容摘要：The measure restricting LGBTQ+ rights in Georgia came shortly after the parliament adopted

The measure restricting LGBTQ+ rights in Georgia came shortly after the parliament adopted

“There was this problem—there was this void,” said Senghor, who’s now training with Rodriguez.In 2021, Rodriguez established a partnership between the Cheikh Anta Diop University of Dakar and CNAG, the National Center for Genomic Analysis in Barcelona. Rodriguez collects patients’ blood samples and delivers the extracted DNA to Barcelona, where scientists sequence it, storing the answers it holds in a large database. Almost 1,300 participants—patients and families—have enrolled in his study of rare disease in West Africa.

Rare disease researcher Pedro Rodriguez, left, examines Ibrahima Ndiaye, 8, in Dakar, Senegal, Friday, Jan. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Annika Hammerschlag)Rare disease researcher Pedro Rodriguez, left, examines Ibrahima Ndiaye, 8, in Dakar, Senegal, Friday, Jan. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Annika Hammerschlag)In the Gambia, Fatou Samba’s sons Adama, 8, and Gibriel, 4, like to play soccer and feed the sheep in their backyard. On a recent afternoon, they took turns playing with a toy airplane and a globe. Adama, who hopes to be a pilot, pointed to where he wanted to go: the U.S. Outside, he started to climb a pile of bicycles propped up against the wall, and Gibriel followed.

“We’re climbing Mount Everest,” Adama said.Standing on a bicycle wheel, Adama hesitated. Samba reached for him, setting him down on solid ground. There is a tiny scar on his forehead where broken skin has been stitched back together. Last year, Samba couldn’t explain his frequent falling, so she sought answers in Dakar. Rodriguez confirmed Adama had Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Gibriel’s genetic test results are pending. Children often lose the ability to run or climb stairs first, and later can’t walk or raise their arms. In adulthood, they develop heart and breathing problems.

Both boys are taking corticosteroids, which can slow disease progression for patients diagnosed early.

“Without the medication, it would have been terrible. Once we started, after a few weeks we saw improvement,” Samba said. “Doctors are destined to investigate (the disease) and find a cure … I pray doctors will find a cure.”“These defendants knew it was cold. In fact, they knew it was life-threatening cold,” she said. “They didn’t care. What they cared about was money, and their callous indifference to the value of human life cost a family of four their lives.”

Patel’s attorney, Leinenweber, said his client will appeal but declined to speculate on what grounds.“He had kind of resigned himself to the fact that the sentence would be longer than he had hoped,” the attorney said. “And he’s not happy with it. But he does wish to appeal and take advantage of his rights.”

Shand’s attorney, federal defender Aaron Morrison, did not talk to reporters afterward.Morrison acknowledged in a presentencing filing that Shand has “a level of culpability” but argued that his role was limited — that he was just a taxi driver who needed money to support his wife and six children.