1Designating the month of November 2013 as "Epilepsy Awareness
2Month" in Pennsylvania.

3WHEREAS, Epilepsy affects more than 200,000 Pennsylvanians;
4and

5WHEREAS, Epilepsy is one of the world's oldest known medical
6conditions; and

7WHEREAS, Epilepsy is not a widely understood medical
8condition; diagnoses of this chronic brain condition often leads
9to fear, discrimination and isolation; and

10WHEREAS, As the third most common neurological disorder in
11the United States, following stroke and Alzheimer's disease,
12epilepsy affects 5 million Americans of all ages; and

13WHEREAS, Approximately 200,000 new cases of epilepsy are
14diagnosed each year, most often in young children or senior
15citizens; and

16WHEREAS, One in ten Americans will experience a seizure at
17some point in their lives and 3% of them will eventually develop

1epilepsy; and

2WHEREAS, One in three people with epilepsy must endure
3uncontrollable seizures because no available treatment works for
4them; and

5WHEREAS, Epilepsy is characterized by recurring seizures that
6are physical reactions to sudden, brief, excessive electrical
7discharges in brain cells; and

8WHEREAS, These excessive electrical discharges impact the
9brain, causing seizure disorders; and

10WHEREAS, Seizures, often thought to be full-body convulsions,
11can be brief muscle spasms or unconscious behaviors that appear
12to be attention lapses; and

13WHEREAS, Increased awareness of epilepsy eases fears of the
14condition and improves the lives of the millions of affected
15persons and those who care for them; and

16WHEREAS, Encouraging the support of epilepsy research
17programs can make the future of persons with epilepsy much
18better and brighter; therefore be it

19RESOLVED, That the Senate designate the month of November
202013 as "Epilepsy Awareness Month" in Pennsylvania.