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Regular Session, 2012
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 131
BY SENATOR CORTEZ
SENATE. Recognizes May 2012 as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Awareness Month.
A RESOLUTION1
To recognize May 2012 as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Awareness Month.2
WHEREAS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS is better known as Lou Gehrig's3
disease; and4
WHEREAS, ALS is a fatal neurodegenerative disease characterized by degeneration5
of cell bodies of the lower motor neurons in the gray matter of the anterior horns of the6
spinal cord; and7
WHEREAS, the initial symptom of ALS is weakness of the skeletal muscles,8
especially those of the extremities; and9
WHEREAS, as ALS progresses the patient experiences difficulty in swallowing,10
talking, and breathing; and11
WHEREAS, ALS eventually causes muscles to atrophy and the patient becomes a12
functional quadriplegic; and13
WHEREAS, ALS does not affect a patient's mental capacity, so that the patient14
remains alert and aware of his or her loss of motor functions and the inevitable outcome of15
continued deterioration and death; and16
WHEREAS, on average, patients diagnosed with ALS only survive two to five years17
from the time of diagnosis; and18 SR NO. 131
SLS 12RS-4748 ORIGINAL
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WHEREAS, ALS has no known cause, means of prevention, or cure; and1
WHEREAS, research indicates that military veterans are at a sixty percent or greater2
risk of developing ALS than those who have not served in the military; and3
WHEREAS, the Department of Veterans Affairs implemented regulations to4
establish a presumption of service connection for ALS thereby presuming that the5
development of ALS was incurred or aggravated by a veteran's service in the military; and6
WHEREAS, a national ALS patient registry, administered by the Centers for Disease7
Control, is currently identifying cases of ALS in the United States and may become the8
single largest ALS research project ever created; and9
WHEREAS, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Awareness Month increases the public's10
awareness of ALS patients' circumstances and acknowledges the terrible impact this disease11
has not only on the patient but on his or her family and the community and recognizes the12
research being done to eradicate this horrible disease.13
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana14
hereby recognizes May 2012 as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Awareness Month.15
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Jerry J. Guillot.
DIGEST
Cortez SR No.
Recognizes May 2012 as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Awareness Month.