Recognizing May 2015 as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Awareness Month to honor the individuals living with ALS and to urge the President and Congress of the United States to enact legislation to provide additional funding for research in order to find a treatment and a cure for ALS.

WHEREAS, Amyotropic Lateral Sclerosis or ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease

is a progressive and fatal neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord; and

WHEREAS,

The word

A-myo-trophic comes from the Greek language, which translates to "No muscle nourishment." This lack of nourishment causes muscles to atrophy causing muscle weakness, especially involving the arms and legs, speech, swallowing or breathing; and

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

WHEREAS,

A

pproximately 5,600 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with ALS each year and it is estimated that as many as 30,000 Americans may have the disease at any given time; and

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

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

WHEREAS, While ALS occurs throughout the world with no racial, ethnic or socioeconomic boundaries, research indicates that military veterans are approximately twice as likely to develop ALS as those who have not served in the military; and

WHEREAS, The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs recognizes ALS as a service-connected disease and provides financial and medical support to those with at least 90 continuous days of military service; and

WHEREAS, The National ALS Registry is a congressionally mandated registry for persons in the U.S. with ALS. It is the only population-based registry in the U.S. that collects information to help scientists learn more about who gets ALS and its causes; 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 and the community and recognizes the research being done to eradicate this horrible disease; now, therefore

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That we hereby recognize May 2015 as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Awareness Month in the City of Philadelphia to honor the individuals living with ALS and to urge the President and Congress of the United States to enact legislation to provide additional funding for research in order to find a treatment and a cure for ALS.

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