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Senate Resolution

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A resolution recognizing May 2008 as "Amyotrophic Lateral

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Sclerosis Awareness Month" in the State of Florida.

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     WHEREAS, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), better known

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as Lou Gehrig's Disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative

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disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord,

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and

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     WHEREAS, the early symptoms of ALS include weakness of the

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skeletal muscles, especially involving the arms and legs, and

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difficulty in swallowing, talking, and breathing, and

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     WHEREAS, ALS eventually causes muscles to atrophy, and the

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patient becomes a functional quadriplegic, and

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     WHEREAS, ALS does not affect a patient's mental capacity;

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therefore, the patient remains alert and aware of his or her loss

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of motor functions and the inevitability of continued

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deterioration and death, and

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     WHEREAS, on average, patients diagnosed as having ALS

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survive only 2 to 5 years after the diagnosis, and

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     WHEREAS, research indicates that military veterans are at

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least 50 percent more likely to develop ALS than those who have

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not served in the military, and

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     WHEREAS, ALS has no known cause, means of prevention, or

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cure, and

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     WHEREAS, the recognition of an "Amyotrophic Lateral

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Sclerosis Awareness Month" will increase awareness regarding the

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circumstances of ALS patients and the terrible impact this

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disease has not only on the patient but on the patient's family

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and the larger community and will support the goals of biomedical

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research on ALS, which are to find the cause or causes of ALS,

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understand the mechanisms involved in the progression of the

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disease, and develop effective treatment, NOW, THEREFORE,

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Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of Florida:

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     That May 2008 is recognized as "Amyotrophic Lateral

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Sclerosis Awareness Month" in the State of Florida.