PRINTER'S NO. 878
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE RESOLUTION
No.
126
Session of
2017
INTRODUCED BY FARNESE, MAY 23, 2017
INTRODUCED AND ADOPTED, MAY 23, 2017
A RESOLUTION
Designating the month of May 2017 as "Amyotrpohic Lateral
Sclerosis Awareness Month" in Pennsylvania.
WHEREAS, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is better known
as Lou Gehrig's Disease; and
WHEREAS, ALS is a fatal neurodegenrative disease
characterized by degeneration of cell bodies of the upper and
lower motor neurons in the gray matter of the anterior horn of
the spinal cord; and
WHEREAS, The initial symptom of ALS is weakness of the
skeletal muscles, especially those of the extremities; and
WHEREAS, As ALS progresses, the patient experiences
difficulty in swallowing, talking and breathing; and
WHEREAS, ALS eventually causes muscles to atrophy and the
patient becomes a functional quadriplegic; and
WHEREAS, Patients with ALS typically remain alert and are
aware of their loss of motor functions and the inevitable
outcome of continued deterioration and death; and
WHEREAS, ALS affects military veterans at twice the rate of
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the general population; and
WHEREAS, ALS occurs in adulthood, most commonly between 40
and 70 years of age, peaking at approximately 55 years of age,
and affects both men and women without bias; and
WHEREAS, Annually, more than 5,000 new ALS patients are
diagnosed throughout the nation; and
WHEREAS, In Pennsylvania, there are currently more than 1,000
individuals who have been formally diagnosed with ALS; and
WHEREAS, The $350,000 in State funding appropriated by the
General Assembly for ALS support services in the Supplement to
the General Appropriation Act of 2015 provided services to more
than 900 constituents and a substantial savings to the State
budget and taxpayers; and
WHEREAS, The ALS Association reports that on average,
patients diagnosed with ALS only survive two to five years from
the time of diagnosis; and
WHEREAS, ALS has no known cause, prevention or cure; and
WHEREAS, "Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Awareness Month"
increases the public's awareness of ALS patients' circumstances
and acknowledges the negative impact this disease has on ALS
patients and their families and recognizes the research being
done to eradicate ALS; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate designate the month of May 2017 as
"Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Awareness Month" in Pennsylvania;
and be it further
RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to
the President of the United States and to the presiding officers
and members of the Pennsylvania Delegation in the Congress of
the United States.
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