Governor Proclaims Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Awareness Month 2022

WHEREAS, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), known by many as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a progressive fatal neurodegenerative disease that attacks nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord; making even the simplest movements—walking, speaking, gesturing—difficult; and

WHEREAS, approximately 5,000 people are diagnosed with ALS each year; and

WHEREAS, ALS strikes people regardless of race, age, gender, ethnicity, or social status, and currently has no known cause, means of prevention, or cure, making diagnosis difficult; and

WHEREAS, finding the causes and cure for ALS will prevent the disease from robbing hundreds of thousands of Americans of their dignity and lives; and

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

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

NOW, THEREFORE, I, ROY COOPER, Governor of the State of North Carolina, do hereby proclaim May, 2022, as “AMYOTROPHIC LATERAL SCLEROSIS AWARENESS MONTH” in North Carolina, and commend its observance to all citizens.