House Resolution 49 - Introduced PAG LIN H.R. ________ S.R. ________ 1 1 HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 1 2 BY CLUTE, MAY, DE BOEF, TJEPKES, 1 3 LUKAN, PALMER, BOAL, DRAKE, HOFFMAN, 1 4 GASKILL, WESSEL=KROESCHELL, MERTZ, 1 5 T. OLSON, HEATON, HORBACH, BAUDLER, 1 6 GRANZOW, CHAMBERS, SWAIM, and SODERBERG 1 7 A Resolution declaring May 2007 Amyotrophic Lateral 1 8 Sclerosis (ALS) Awareness Month. 1 9 WHEREAS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, is 1 10 better known as Lou Gehrig's disease; and 1 11 WHEREAS, ALS is a fatal neurodegenerative disease 1 12 characterized by degeneration of cell bodies of the 1 13 lower motor neurons in the gray matter of the anterior 1 14 horns of the spinal cord; and 1 15 WHEREAS, the initial symptom of ALS is weakness of 1 16 the skeletal muscles, especially those of the 1 17 extremities; and 1 18 WHEREAS, as ALS progresses, the patient experiences 1 19 difficulty in swallowing, talking, and breathing; and 1 20 WHEREAS, ALS eventually causes muscles to atrophy 1 21 and the patient becomes a functional quadriplegic; and 1 22 WHEREAS, ALS does not affect a patient's mental 1 23 capacity, so that the patient remains alert and aware 1 24 of his or her loss of motor functions and the 1 25 inevitable outcome of continued deterioration and 1 26 death; and 1 27 WHEREAS, on average, patients diagnosed with ALS 1 28 only survive two to five years from the time of 1 29 diagnosis; and 1 30 WHEREAS, research indicates that military veterans 2 1 are at a 50 percent greater risk of developing ALS 2 2 than those who have not served in the military; and 2 3 WHEREAS, ALS has no known cause, means of 2 4 prevention, or cure; and 2 5 WHEREAS, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Awareness 2 6 Month increases the public's awareness of ALS 2 7 patients' circumstances and acknowledges the terrible 2 8 impact this disease has not only on the patient but on 2 9 the patient's family and the community and recognizes 2 10 the research being done to eradicate this horrible 2 11 disease; NOW THEREFORE, 2 12 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, 2 13 That the House of Representatives proclaims May 2007 2 14 as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Awareness Month in 2 15 Iowa. 2 16 LSB 2932HH 82 2 17 jr/je/5