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PRINTER'S NO. 2215
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No.
508
Session of
2015
INTRODUCED BY FABRIZIO, DONATUCCI, YOUNGBLOOD, BAKER, KINSEY,
KIRKLAND, READSHAW, HENNESSEY, ROZZI, SCHLOSSBERG, D. COSTA,
O'BRIEN, LONGIETTI, DiGIROLAMO, WATSON, V. BROWN, SONNEY,
DUSH, BIZZARRO, McNEILL, WARD, HARHART, ROSS, GINGRICH,
COHEN, MAHONEY, FARINA, O'NEILL, PAYNE, MAJOR, MARSICO,
GILLEN, DeLUCA, SCHWEYER, BISHOP, PASHINSKI, TAYLOR, SAINATO,
KORTZ, NEILSON, WHEELAND, SCHREIBER AND MURT,
SEPTEMBER 22, 2015
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
SEPTEMBER 22, 2015
A RESOLUTION
Designating the month of September 2015 as "Dystonia Awareness
Month" in Pennsylvania.
WHEREAS, Dystonia is an incurable neurological disorder
characterized by involuntary muscle contractions that cause slow
repetitive movements or abnormal postures; and
WHEREAS, Dystonia is often initiated or worsened by voluntary
movements, and symptoms may "overflow" into adjacent muscles;
and
WHEREAS, Dystonia symptoms may be episodic, only occurring
during periodic attacks, or they may occur constantly, making
dystonia an especially difficult disability to live with; and
WHEREAS, There are multiple forms of dystonia, and dozens of
diseases and conditions may include dystonia as a symptom that
may affect a single body area or be generalized throughout
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multiple muscle groups; and
WHEREAS, Though several treatment options exist, such as
physical therapy, oral medication, injections and surgery,
results are not consistent and can involve substantial risks,
particularly with respect to brain surgeries undertaken to
address the most severe cases; and
WHEREAS, Even though dystonia affects as many as 750,000
people in the United States, one-third of whom are children,
public knowledge of the disorder is very limited; and
WHEREAS, According to the Bachmann-Strauss Dystonia &
Parkinson Foundation, dystonia affects more people than muscular
dystrophy, Huntington's disease and Lou Gehrig's disease
combined, yet awareness of dystonia is limited; and
WHEREAS, Countless friends, loved ones, spouses and
caregivers must shoulder the physical, emotional and financial
burdens that dystonia causes; and
WHEREAS, Due to the severity of the symptoms of dystonia and
the limited public awareness of the condition, many people react
to the physical manifestations of dystonia by avoiding those
affected with the disorder, often causing isolation and deep
psychological distress for persons who suffer from the disease;
and
WHEREAS, For these and many other reasons, greater
understanding of dystonia both in the medical and lay
communities would substantially benefit those affected, and
increased support is needed for efforts to find the causes and
improve treatments in order to find a cure for dystonia; and
WHEREAS, The dystonia community is uniting to cooperate on
awareness efforts throughout September, including the Benign
Essential Blepharospasm Research Foundation, DySTonia, Inc., the
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Dystonia Medical Research Foundation, the National Spasmodic
Dysphonia Association and the National Spasmodic Torticollis
Association, to foster public awareness and understanding of the
disorder, to educate patients and their families about dystonia,
to improve treatment and care and to provide support and
encourage people to become advocates on behalf of those who are
living with this debilitating condition; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives designate the
month of September 2015 as "Dystonia Awareness Month" in
Pennsylvania in recognition of the plight of people suffering
from the disorder's painful and debilitating effects in order to
foster public understanding, to develop support for finding the
causes of the condition and improved treatments and a cure for
the disorder and to encourage all residents to aid and support
those who are affected.
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