Florida Senate - 2010                            (NP)    SR 2562
       
       
       
       By Senator Ring
       
       
       
       
       32-02198-10                                           20102562__
    1                          Senate Resolution                        
    2         A resolution recognizing May 2010 as “Amyotrophic
    3         Lateral Sclerosis Awareness Month” in Florida.
    4  
    5         WHEREAS, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), better known
    6  as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative
    7  disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord,
    8  and
    9         WHEREAS, the early symptoms of ALS include weakness of the
   10  skeletal muscles, especially involving the arms and legs, and
   11  difficulty in swallowing, talking, and breathing, and
   12         WHEREAS, ALS eventually causes muscles to atrophy,
   13  resulting in functional quadriplegia, and
   14         WHEREAS, ALS does not affect an individual’s mental
   15  capacity, and he or she remains alert and aware of his or her
   16  loss of motor functions and the inevitability of continued
   17  deterioration and death, and
   18         WHEREAS, on average, individuals diagnosed with ALS survive
   19  only 3 to 5 years after their initial diagnosis, and
   20         WHEREAS, research indicates that military veterans are at
   21  least 50 percent more likely to develop ALS than those who have
   22  not served in the military, and
   23         WHEREAS, ALS has no known cause, means of prevention, or
   24  cure, and
   25         WHEREAS, the recognition of an “Amyotrophic Lateral
   26  Sclerosis Awareness Month” increases awareness of the
   27  circumstances of ALS patients and the impact of the disease on
   28  the patient, his or her family members, and the larger
   29  community, and supports the goals of ALS research, which are to
   30  find the cause or causes of ALS, to understand the mechanisms
   31  involved in the progression of the disease, and to develop
   32  effective treatment, NOW, THEREFORE,
   33  
   34  Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of Florida:
   35  
   36         That May 2010 is recognized as “Amyotrophic Lateral
   37  Sclerosis Awareness Month” in Florida.