HOUSE RESOLUTION NO.258
Reps. Smit, Wozniak, Bezotte, St. Germaine, Rigas, Aiyash,
Alexander, Brabec, Fitzgerald, Fox, Glanville, Haadsma, MacDonell,
Paiz and Rheingans offered the following resolution:
1 A resolution to declare May 2024 as ALS Awareness Month in the
2 state of Michigan.
3 Whereas, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), known by many as
4 Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a progressive fatal neurodegenerative
5 disease in which a person’s brain loses connection with the
6 muscles, slowly taking away their ability to walk, talk, eat, and
7 eventually breathe; and
8 Whereas, Every 90 minutes someone is diagnosed with ALS and
9 someone passes away from ALS; and
10 Whereas, On average, patients diagnosed with ALS only survive
ALS Awareness M 24H
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1 two to five years from the time of diagnosis; and
2 Whereas, ALS has no cure; and
3 Whereas, People who have served in the military are more
4 likely to develop ALS and die from the disease than those with no
5 history of military service; and
6 Whereas, Securing access to new therapies, durable medical
7 equipment, and communication technologies is of vital importance to
8 people living with ALS; and
9 Whereas, Clinical trials play a pivotal role in evaluating new
10 treatments, enhancing quality of life, and fostering assistive
11 technologies for those living with ALS; and
12 Whereas, We celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the Ice Bucket
13 Challenge through a renewed commitment to galvanize public
14 awareness and support funding leading to significant investments in
15 ALS research; and
16 Whereas, The ALS Association, as the largest philanthropic
17 funder of ALS research globally, has committed over $154 million to
18 support more than 550 projects across the United States and 18
19 other countries; and
20 Whereas, Our commitment to accelerating the pace of discovery
21 remains unwavering, fueled by the hope that one day, ALS will be a
22 livable disease for everyone, everywhere, until we can cure it; and
23 Whereas, ALS Awareness Month increases the public's awareness
24 of people with ALS’ dire circumstances, and acknowledges the
25 terrible impact this disease has, not only on the person but on his
26 or her family and the community, and recognizes the research being
27 done to eradicate this disease; now, therefore, be it
28 Resolved by the House of Representatives, That the members of
29 this legislative body declare May 2024 as ALS Awareness Month in
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1 the state of Michigan. We call upon all Americans to join in
2 supporting ALS research, advocating for increased funding, and
3 standing in solidarity with those affected by this relentless
4 disease.