Florida Senate - 2017                            (NP)    SR 1340
       
       
        
       By Senator Hukill
       
       
       
       
       
       14-00582-17                                           20171340__
    1                          Senate Resolution                        
    2         A resolution recognizing September 2017 as “Spinal
    3         Cord Injury Awareness Month” in Florida.
    4  
    5         WHEREAS, the central nervous system is made up of two
    6  parts, the brain and the spinal cord, and
    7         WHEREAS, the spinal cord is considered the information
    8  superhighway of the body because it contains bundles of neurons
    9  that carry signals to and from the brain, controlling many
   10  bodily functions, and
   11         WHEREAS, after a spinal cord injury occurs, damaged neurons
   12  can no longer emit signals to or from the brain, and the injured
   13  person suffers permanent sensory loss and loss of muscle
   14  control, and
   15         WHEREAS, in 2016, an estimated 282,000 individuals in the
   16  United States were living with a spinal cord injury, and
   17         WHEREAS, it is estimated that the number of new cases
   18  involving spinal cord injury in the United States is
   19  approximately 17,000 each year, and
   20         WHEREAS, the average age at injury for victims is 42 years,
   21  with men accounting for about 80 percent of all new spinal cord
   22  injury cases, and
   23         WHEREAS, the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical
   24  Center’s 2016 data sheet shows that the four leading causes of
   25  spinal cord injury for both men and women were auto accidents,
   26  falls, acts of violence, and sports-related activities, and
   27         WHEREAS, the same report shows that the average annual cost
   28  of care for individuals who had a spinal cord injury ranged from
   29  approximately $350,000 to $1.06 million the first year after
   30  injury, with an estimated lifetime cost of between approximately
   31  $1.1 million and $4.7 million, depending on the severity of
   32  injury and the age of the individual at the time of injury, and
   33         WHEREAS, over the past two decades, scientists have made
   34  major breakthroughs in understanding how to stimulate the
   35  regeneration of damaged neurons, restore normal function, and
   36  improve the quality of life for patients with spinal cord
   37  injuries in areas such as infertility and pain management, and
   38         WHEREAS, scores of national, regional, and local
   39  organizations and researchers, doctors, volunteers, and others
   40  across this state are dedicated to improving the quality of life
   41  of people with spinal cord injuries and their families, NOW,
   42  THEREFORE,
   43  
   44  Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of Florida:
   45  
   46         That September 2017 is recognized as “Spinal Cord Injury
   47  Awareness Month” in Florida.