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1
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS is better
3 known as Lou Gehrig's disease; and
 
4     WHEREAS, ALS is a fatal neurodegenerative disease
5 characterized by degeneration of cell bodies of the lower motor
6 neurons in the gray matter of the anterior horns of the spinal
7 cord; and
 
8     WHEREAS, The initial symptom of ALS is weakness of the
9 skeletal muscles, especially those of the extremities; and
 
10     WHEREAS, As ALS progresses the patient experiences
11 difficulty in swallowing, talking, and breathing; and
 
12     WHEREAS, ALS eventually causes muscles to atrophy and the
13 patient becomes a functional quadriplegic; and
 
14     WHEREAS, ALS does not affect a patient's mental capacity,
15 so that the patient remains alert and aware of his or her loss
16 of motor functions and the inevitable outcome of continued
17 deterioration and death; and
 
18     WHEREAS, On average, patients diagnosed with ALS only
19 survive two to five years from the time of diagnosis; and
 

 

 

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1     WHEREAS, research indicates that military veterans are at a
2 50% or greater risk of developing ALS than those who have not
3 served in the military; and
 
4     WHEREAS, ALS has no known cause, means of prevention, or
5 cure; and
 
6     WHEREAS, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Awareness Month
7 increases the public's awareness of ALS patients'
8 circumstances and acknowledges the terrible impact this
9 disease has not only on the patient but on his or her family
10 and the community and recognizes the research being done to
11 eradicate this horrible disease; therefore, be it
 
12     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
13 NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE
14 SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we proclaim the month of May
15 2008 as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Awareness Month in the
16 State of Illinois; and be it further
 
17     RESOLVED, That we memorialize the President and Congress of
18 the United States to enact legislation to provide additional
19 funding for research in order to find a treatment and
20 eventually a cure for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; and be it
21 further
 

 

 

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1     RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
2 presented to the President of the United States and each member
3 of the Illinois congressional delegation.