SENATE MEMORIAL 43

50th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2012

INTRODUCED BY

Michael S. Sanchez

A MEMORIAL

PROCLAIMING FEBRUARY 3, 2012 "ALS AWARENESS DAY" IN THE SENATE.

     WHEREAS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, ALS, is better known as Lou Gehrig's disease; and

     WHEREAS, ALS is a fatal neurodegenerative disease that is characterized by degeneration of the cell bodies of the lower motor neurons in the gray matter of the anterior horns of the spinal cord; and

     WHEREAS, the initial symptom of ALS is weakness of the skeletal muscles, especially those of the extremities; and

     WHEREAS, as ALS progresses, the patient experiences difficulty in swallowing, talking and breathing; and

     WHEREAS, ALS eventually causes muscles to atrophy, and the patient becomes a functional quadriplegic; and

     WHEREAS, ALS does not affect a patient's mental capacity, so the patient remains alert and aware of the patient's loss of motor functions and of the inevitable outcome of continued deterioration and death; and

     WHEREAS, on average, patients diagnosed with ALS only survive two to five years from the time of diagnosis; and

     WHEREAS, research indicates that military veterans have a fifty-percent greater risk of developing ALS than those who have not served in the military; and

     WHEREAS, ALS has no known cause, no means of prevention and no cure; and

     WHEREAS, an estimated one hundred fifty New Mexicans are living with ALS at any given time; and

     WHEREAS, "ALS Awareness Day" will increase public awareness of ALS patients' circumstances, acknowledge the terrible impact the disease has, not only on the patient but also on the patient's family and community, and recognize the research being done to eradicate this horrible disease;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that it proclaim February 3, 2012 "ALS Awareness Day" in the senate; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the senate urge the president of the United States and members of congress to enact legislation to provide additional funding for research in order to find a treatment and, eventually, a cure for ALS; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this memorial be transmitted to the interim legislative health and human services committee.

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