Florida Senate - 2025 (NP) SR 858 By Senator Yarborough 4-01450-25 2025858__ 1 Senate Resolution 2 A resolution recognizing the month of March as “Blood 3 Clot Awareness Month” each year in Florida. 4 5 WHEREAS, a blood clot is a mass of blood that forms when 6 platelets, proteins, and cells in the blood stick together, and 7 the body naturally forms blood clots after an injury to stop 8 bleeding and to help the wound heal, and 9 WHEREAS, blood clots are potentially dangerous and can 10 materialize throughout the body in places they should not, such 11 as when the body makes too many blood clots or makes abnormal 12 blood clots, or when the blood clots formed to stop bleeding do 13 not break down following an injury, all of which can lead to 14 illness, disability, and even death if not treated early, and 15 WHEREAS, as indicated by the public education campaign 16 “Stop the Clot, Spread the Word,” made possible through the 17 partnership of the National Blood Clot Alliance and the Centers 18 for Disease Control and Prevention, up to 900,000 people are 19 negatively affected by blood clots every year, and 20 WHEREAS, an estimated 100,000 Americans die annually due to 21 blood clots, and many others have long-term complications as a 22 result of blood clots, and 23 WHEREAS, blood clots can be further categorized as a deep 24 vein thrombosis or a pulmonary embolism, and 25 WHEREAS, a deep vein thrombosis occurs if a blood clot 26 forms in one of the large veins, typically in a person’s lower 27 leg, thigh, pelvis, or arm, and is a type of blood clot that can 28 partly or completely block the flow of blood in the body and, if 29 left untreated, can travel to the lungs, causing a blockage 30 known as a pulmonary embolism, which requires immediate medical 31 attention, and 32 WHEREAS, it is important to recognize the signs and 33 symptoms of a blood clot, with a deep vein thrombosis often 34 presenting as swelling, pain, tenderness, and redness or 35 discoloration of the skin at the affected area, and 36 WHEREAS, by comparison, a pulmonary embolism often is 37 associated with difficulty breathing, a faster than normal or 38 irregular heartbeat, coughing up blood, and very low blood 39 pressure, lightheadedness, or fainting, and 40 WHEREAS, the negative consequences of blood clots are 41 preventable, and the best ways to avoid them include knowing the 42 risk factors, recognizing the signs and symptoms, informing a 43 medical professional of any risk factors, speaking with a 44 medical professional about blood clots before any surgical 45 procedure, and seeing a medical professional as soon as possible 46 when symptoms emerge, and 47 WHEREAS, to better inform the public of the risks, signs, 48 and symptoms of blood clots, the National Blood Clot Alliance 49 annually promotes March as “Blood Clot Awareness Month,” NOW, 50 THEREFORE, 51 52 Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of Florida: 53 54 That the month of March is recognized as “Blood Clot 55 Awareness Month” in the State of Florida in order to join the 56 National Blood Clot Alliance in raising public awareness of 57 preventive measures and of the signs and symptoms of blood 58 clots, thereby helping the residents of this state avoid the 59 negative health consequences associated with blood clots. 60 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Governor is respectfully 61 requested to issue a proclamation each year calling upon public 62 officials and the residents of this state to observe the month 63 of March as “Blood Clot Awareness Month” with appropriate 64 activities and programs.