| R 285 |
| 2024 -- H 8268 Enacted 05/14/2024 |
| H O U S E R E S O L U T I O N |
| PROCLAIMING MAY OF 2024, TO BE "ALS AWARENESS MONTH" IN THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND |
Introduced By: Representatives Kennedy, Shekarchi, Blazejewski, Corvese, Chippendale, Azzinaro, Edwards, Tanzi, Ajello, and Shallcross Smith |
| Date Introduced: May 14, 2024 |
| WHEREAS, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), known by many as Lou Gehrig's |
| disease, is a progressive fatal neurodegenerative disease in which a person's brain loses |
| connection with the muscles, slowly taking away their ability to walk, talk, eat, and eventually |
| breathe; and |
| WHEREAS, An estimated 30,000 individuals in the United States are afflicted with ALS |
| at any given time, with an estimated 5,000 new cases appearing each year, and annually, over |
| 450,000 people affected worldwide; and |
| WHEREAS, Approximately 15 new cases of ALS are diagnosed every day, and every 90 |
| minutes someone loses their battle with the disease; and |
| WHEREAS, On average, patients diagnosed with ALS only survive two to five years |
| from the time of diagnosis; and |
| WHEREAS, ALS has no cure and can strike anyone regardless of race, sex, age, or |
| ethnicity; and |
| WHEREAS, Securing access to new therapies, durable medical equipment, and |
| communication technologies is of vital importance to people living with ALS; and |
| WHEREAS, Clinical trials play a pivotal role in evaluating new treatments, enhancing |
| quality of life, and fostering assistive technologies for those living with ALS; and |
| WHEREAS, Persons who have served in the military are approximately twice as likely to |
| develop ALS and die from the disease than those with no history of military service; and |
| WHEREAS, The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs recognizes ALS as a service- |
| connected disease; and |
| WHEREAS, The ALS Association, as the largest philanthropic funder of ALS research |
| globally, has committed over $154 million to support more than 550 projects across the United |
| States and 18 other countries. The Association's commitment to accelerating the pace of |
| discovery remains unwavering, fueled by the hope that one day, ALS will be a livable disease for |
| everyone, everywhere, until a cure can be found; and |
| WHEREAS, The purpose of ALS Awareness Month is to raise public awareness about |
| ALS, show support for those affected by this relentless disease, and give recognition to those |
| working to find a cure; now, therefore be it |
| RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island hereby |
| proclaims May of 2024, to be "ALS Awareness Month." We furthermore urge all the citizens of |
| the State to educate themselves on ALS and to help combat this disease by all means possible; |
| and be it further |
| RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to |
| transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to the Rhode Island Chapter of the ALS |
| Foundation. |
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| LC006118 |
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