2009 Assembly Joint Resolution 23
ENROLLED JOINT RESOLUTION
Relating to: declaring May as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Awareness Month.
Whereas, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is better known as Lou Gehrig's disease; and
Whereas, ALS is a fatal neurological disease characterized by degeneration of nerve cells of the body's voluntary muscles; and
Whereas, ALS is one of the most common neuromuscular diseases worldwide, affecting people of all races and backgrounds; and
Whereas, the onset of ALS is so slight that the symptoms are often ignored. Early symptoms may include twitching, cramping, muscle weakness, slurred speech, and difficulty swallowing; and
Whereas, ALS does not affect a person's mind, personality, or intelligence. Nor does it affect a person's ability to see, smell, taste, or hear; and
Whereas, there exists no single test providing a definitive diagnosis. An ALS diagnosis is based on an evaluation of symptoms and a series of tests to rule out other diseases; and
Whereas, ALS occurs in adulthood, most commonly between 40 to 70 years of age and affects men two to three times more often than women; and
Whereas, over 5,000 new ALS patients are diagnosed annually in the United States; and
Whereas, on average, patients diagnosed with ALS survive only two to five years from the time of diagnosis; and
Whereas, in 90 percent to 95 percent of all ALS cases, the disease occurs at random with no known cause or risk factors; and
Whereas, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Awareness Month increases the public's awareness of ALS patients' circumstances and acknowledges the terrible impact this disease has, not only on the patient, but on his or her family as well, and recognizes the research being done to eradicate this horrible disease; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the assembly, the senate concurring, That the legislature hereby proclaims the month of May 2009 and in each year thereafter, as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Awareness Month in Wisconsin, to coincide with the National Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Awareness Month; and, be it further
Resolved, That the assembly chief clerk shall provide a copy of this joint resolution to the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Association — Wisconsin Chapter.
