SPONSOR:

Sen. Hansen & Sen. Lawson & Rep. Spiegelman

Sens. Brown, Cloutier, Delcollo, Ennis, Hocker, Lockman, Lopez, McBride, McDowell, Paradee, Pettyjohn, Poore, Richardson, Sokola, Sturgeon, Townsend, Walsh, Wilson; Reps. Baumbach, Bentz, Brady, Briggs King, Dukes, Gray, Hensley, Minor-Brown, Osienski, Ramone, D. Short, Michael Smith, Viola, Yearick

DELAWARE STATE SENATE

150th GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 52

DESIGNATING MAY 2019 AS “ALS AWARENESS MONTH” IN THE STATE OF DELAWARE.

WHEREAS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (“ALS”) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord; and

WHEREAS, motor neurons reach from the brain to the spinal cord, and from the spinal cord to muscles throughout the body; and

WHEREAS, the progressive degeneration of the motor neurons in ALS takes away a person’s ability to walk, speak, move, and breathe, and eventually leads to the person’s death; and

WHEREAS, when the motor neurons die, the ability of the brain to initiate and control muscle movement is lost; and

WHEREAS, there is no cure for ALS and there are only 2 drugs available to treat the disease; and

WHEREAS, people with ALS live, on average, only 2 to 5 years after diagnosis; and

WHEREAS, military veterans are twice as likely as the general population to be diagnosed with ALS, making it a service-connected disease; and

WHEREAS, approximately 100 people are living with ALS at any given time in the State of Delaware; and

WHEREAS, the leading ALS organization, the ALS Association, supports many ALS patients and their families throughout the State of Delaware; and

WHEREAS, the ALS Association leads the way in research, care services, public education, and public policy regarding ALS, giving help and hope to those facing the disease; and

WHEREAS, the ALS Association’s nationwide network of chapters provides comprehensive patient services and support to the ALS community.

NOW, THEREFORE:

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the 150th General Assembly of the State of Delaware, the House of Representatives concurring therein, that the General Assembly designates May 2019 as “ALS Awareness Month” in the State of Delaware.

SYNOPSIS

This Concurrent Resolution designates May 2019 as “ALS Awareness Month” in Delaware.

Author: Senator Hansen