PRINTER'S NO. 1397
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No.
230
Session of
2019
INTRODUCED BY CUTLER, READSHAW, KORTZ, SOLOMON, BIZZARRO, PYLE,
KAUFFMAN, HILL-EVANS, YOUNGBLOOD, MEHAFFIE, PICKETT,
D. MILLER, FEE, HENNESSEY, SCHMITT, DiGIROLAMO, ROTHMAN,
GLEIM, KINSEY, CAUSER, KNOWLES, GREINER, SCHLOSSBERG, RYAN,
THOMAS, LONGIETTI, CALTAGIRONE, MILLARD, BOBACK, SCHLEGEL
CULVER, BARRAR, STAATS, PASHINSKI, VITALI, EVERETT, JOZWIAK,
B. MILLER, HARKINS, HICKERNELL, FRITZ, SONNEY, ISAACSON,
LEWIS, GABLER, BERNSTINE, BROWN, McNEILL, FREEMAN, IRVIN,
WARREN, MACKENZIE, DEASY, OBERLANDER, SAYLOR, MENTZER,
OWLETT, ZIMMERMAN, GILLESPIE, MURT, NEILSON, LAWRENCE,
DeLUCA, HAHN, DUSH, CIRESI, SIMMONS, HERSHEY, MARKOSEK,
MULLINS, POLINCHOCK, WEBSTER AND WHEELAND, APRIL 15, 2019
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
APRIL 15, 2019
A RESOLUTION
Designating the month of May 2019 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,
leaving the patient alert and aware of their loss of motor
functions and the inevitable outcome of continued deterioration
and death; and
WHEREAS, ALS occurs in adulthood, most commonly between 40
and 70 years of age, with the greatest age for risk being
approximately 55 years of age; and
WHEREAS, ALS affects men two to 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,
acknowledges the terrible impact this disease has on the patient
and their 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 2019 as "Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Awareness
Month" in Pennsylvania.
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