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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2013 - 2014
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | February 13, 2013 03:40 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Keith Gillespie |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Resolution Multiple System Atrophy Awareness Month |
| In the near future, I will be introducing a resolution designating the month of March as "Multiple System Atrophy Awareness Month", to increase public awareness of this progressive neurodegenerative disorder. Multiple System Atrophy is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects many of the autonomic body systems that people take for granted. The symptoms can occur in any combination, from loss of balance and coordination, fainting and dizziness due to severely low blood pressure, bladder and bowel issues, speech and swallowing difficulties, sleep disturbances, breathing problems, and rigidity and tremors similar to Parkinson's disease or ALS. While MSA is not considered to be hereditary, it generally affects middle-aged men and women - advancing rapidly, with progressive loss of motor skills, eventual confinement to bed, and death. It is very rare for someone to live 15 years with MSA. There is no remission from the disease and currently no cure. The current lack of awareness of MSA leads to misdiagnosis and mistreatment, as well as misdirected research funding that could be better applied to the MSA effort. |
Introduced as HR116