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| THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA |
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| SENATE RESOLUTION |
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| INTRODUCED BY FARNESE, ORIE, STACK, KASUNIC, TARTAGLIONE, EARLL, M. WHITE, RAFFERTY, FONTANA, COSTA, SCARNATI, GREENLEAF, TOMLINSON, ERICKSON, BROWNE, HUGHES, PIPPY, YAW, BOSCOLA, PILEGGI, FERLO, SCHWANK, FOLMER, WASHINGTON, KITCHEN, BREWSTER, BRUBAKER AND LEACH, MAY 2, 2011 |
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| INTRODUCED AND ADOPTED, MAY 2, 2011 |
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| A RESOLUTION |
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1 | Designating the month of May 2011 as "Amyotrophic Lateral |
2 | Sclerosis Awareness Month" in Pennsylvania; and memorializing |
3 | the President and the Congress of the United States to enact |
4 | legislation to provide additional funding for research in |
5 | order to find a treatment and cure for the disease. |
6 | WHEREAS, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is better known |
7 | as Lou Gehrig's Disease; and |
8 | WHEREAS, ALS is a fatal neurodegenerative disease |
9 | characterized by degeneration of cell bodies of the upper and |
10 | lower motor neurons in the gray matter of the anterior horn of |
11 | the spinal cord; and |
12 | WHEREAS, The initial symptom of ALS is weakness of the |
13 | skeletal muscles, especially those of the extremities; and |
14 | WHEREAS, As ALS progresses, the patient experiences |
15 | difficulty in swallowing, talking and breathing; and |
16 | WHEREAS, ALS eventually causes muscles to atrophy, and the |
17 | patient becomes a functional quadriplegic; and |
18 | WHEREAS, ALS does not affect a patient's mental capacity, so |
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1 | that the patient remains alert and aware of his or her loss of |
2 | motor functions and the inevitable outcome of continued |
3 | deterioration and death; and |
4 | WHEREAS, The Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War |
5 | Veterans’ Illnesses, created by Congress, stated in its most |
6 | recent report that "The most serious condition reported to |
7 | affect Gulf War veterans at a higher than expected rate is |
8 | amyotrophic lateral sclerosis,* * *"; and |
9 | WHEREAS, An increased number of military veterans, regardless |
10 | of branch of service and what war they were involved in, are at |
11 | greater risk for being diagnosed with this disease than those |
12 | who did not serve in the military, resulting in the creation of |
13 | the National Registry of Veterans with ALS to track this |
14 | information; and |
15 | WHEREAS, ALS occurs in adulthood, most commonly between the |
16 | ages of 40 and 70 years of age, with the peak age about 55 years |
17 | of age, and affects men two or three times more often than |
18 | women; and |
19 | WHEREAS, Annually, more than 5,500 new ALS patients are |
20 | diagnosed throughout the nation; and |
21 | WHEREAS, In Pennsylvania, there are currently 1,200 |
22 | individuals that have been formally diagnosed with ALS; and |
23 | WHEREAS, On average, the ALS Association reported in 2009 |
24 | that patients diagnosed with ALS only survive two to five years |
25 | from the time of diagnosis; and |
26 | WHEREAS, ALS has no known cause, prevention or cure; and |
27 | WHEREAS, "Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Awareness Month" |
28 | increases the public's awareness of ALS patients' circumstances |
29 | and acknowledges the terrible impact this disease has not only |
30 | on the patient but on his or her family as well and recognizes |
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1 | the research being done to eradicate this horrible disease; |
2 | therefore be it |
3 | RESOLVED, That the Senate of Pennsylvania designate the month |
4 | of May 2011 as "Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Awareness Month" |
5 | in Pennsylvania; and be it further |
6 | RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to |
7 | the President of the United States, to the presiding officers of |
8 | each house of Congress and to each member of Congress from |
9 | Pennsylvania showing our support for research and needed |
10 | services for patients living with this deadly disease. |
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