Florida Senate - 2019                            (NP)    SR 1848
       
       
        
       By Senator Wright
       
       
       
       
       
       14-00852A-19                                          20191848__
    1                          Senate Resolution                        
    2         A resolution recognizing September 2019 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 2018, an estimated 291,000 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 17,730 each year, and
   20         WHEREAS, the average age at injury for victims is 43 years,
   21  with men accounting for about 78 percent of all new spinal cord
   22  injury cases, and
   23         WHEREAS, the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical
   24  Center’s 2019 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- and recreation-related
   27  activities, and
   28         WHEREAS, the same report shows that the average annual cost
   29  of care for individuals who had a spinal cord injury ranged
   30  between about $369,000 and $1.13 million the first year after
   31  injury, with an estimated lifetime cost of between about $1.67
   32  million and $5 million, depending on the severity of injury and
   33  the age of the individual at the time of injury, and
   34         WHEREAS, over the past two decades, scientists have made
   35  major breakthroughs in understanding how to stimulate the
   36  regeneration of damaged neurons, restore function, and improve
   37  the quality of life for patients with spinal cord injuries in
   38  such areas as infertility and pain management, and
   39         WHEREAS, scores of local, regional, and national
   40  organizations and researchers, doctors, volunteers, and others
   41  across this state are dedicated to improving the quality of life
   42  of people with spinal cord injuries and their families, NOW,
   43  THEREFORE,
   44  
   45  Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of Florida:
   46  
   47         That September 2019 is recognized as “Spinal Cord Injury
   48  Awareness Month” in Florida.