PRINTER'S NO. 1112
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No.
214
Session of
2015
INTRODUCED BY CUTLER, CORBIN, READSHAW, BISHOP, BAKER, COHEN,
DEAN, BOBACK, M. K. KELLER, HEFFLEY, KNOWLES, GRELL,
SCHLOSSBERG, GREINER, O'NEILL, MILLARD, CONKLIN, SCHWEYER,
LONGIETTI, DiGIROLAMO, MACKENZIE, KIM, VITALI, DUSH, SONNEY,
HICKERNELL, CAUSER, KILLION, METZGAR, BARRAR, HAHN,
CALTAGIRONE, KAUFFMAN, KOTIK, FREEMAN, KINSEY, PETRI,
HARHART, McGINNIS, A. HARRIS, MARSHALL, D. COSTA, MENTZER,
GABLER, MARSICO, FARINA, GROVE, MURT, WHEELAND, ROSS,
BROWNLEE, OBERLANDER, MATZIE, PICKETT, SANKEY, DEASY, HARHAI,
MAJOR, GOODMAN, DONATUCCI, FEE, McCARTER, MAHONEY,
BENNINGHOFF, GIBBONS, PEIFER, GILLEN, ROZZI, WATSON, FARRY
AND V. BROWN, APRIL 8, 2015
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
APRIL 8, 2015
A RESOLUTION
Designating the month of May 2015 as "Amyotrophic 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 neurodegenerative disease
characterized by degeneration of cell bodies of the 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
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WHEREAS, ALS eventually causes muscles to atrophy, and the
patient becomes a functional quadriplegic; and
WHEREAS, ALS does not affect a patient's mental capacity, so
that the patient remains alert and aware of his or her loss of
motor functions and the inevitable outcome of continued
deterioration and death; and
WHEREAS, ALS occurs in adulthood, most commonly between the
ages of 40 and 70 years of age, with the peak age about 55 years
of age, and affects men two or three times more often than
women; and
WHEREAS, More than 5,000 new ALS patients are diagnosed
annually; and
WHEREAS, 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 terrible impact this disease has not only
on the patient but on his or her family and recognizes the
research being done to eradicate this horrible disease;
therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives designate the
month of May 2015 as "Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Awareness
Month" in Pennsylvania.
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