Recognizing May 2024 as ALS Awareness Month in the City of Philadelphia.

WHEREAS, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (“ALS”), known to 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, Every 90 minutes, a person in the United States is diagnosed with ALS and another person passes away from it; and

WHEREAS, On average, patients diagnosed with ALS only survive another two to five years from the point of their diagnoses; and

WHEREAS, ALS has no cure; and

WHEREAS, For reasons that remain unknown, military veterans develop ALS at a higher rate than those who have not served, with some studies finding that the relative risk of dying from ALS for veterans was approximately two times that seen among non-veterans; 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 developing assistive technologies for those living with ALS; and

WHEREAS, It is the 10th anniversary of the Ice Bucket Challenge - perhaps the most viral and successful disease awareness and advocacy campaign of the internet era, and as we celebrate, we renew our commitment to galvanizing public awareness and fundraising to support ALS research; 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 in 18 other countries; and

WHEREAS, The ALS 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 we can cure it; and

WHEREAS, ALS Awareness Month increases the public’s awareness of people with ALS’ dire circumstances, and acknowledges the terrible impact this disease has, not only on the person but on their family and community, and recognizes the research being done to eradicate this disease; now therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That we hereby recognize May 2024 as ALS Awareness Month in the City of Philadelphia.

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