National Limb Loss and Limb Difference Awareness Month_0.pdf
NATIONAL LIMB LOSS AND LIMB DIFFERENCE AWARENESS MONTH
2024
BY THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
A PROCLAMATION
WHEREAS, according to the Amputee Coalition, there are approximately 2.1 million Americans living with limb loss/difference, and more than 28 million living at risk of amputation surgery; and
WHEREAS, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that each year, approximately 2,250 babies in the United States are born with congenital limb difference and 600 children lose a limb to a lawn mower accident every summer; and
WHEREAS, diabetes, peripheral vascular disease, and trauma are cited as the leading causes of amputation, with approximately 99 percent of cases being contributed to them; and
WHEREAS, studies have shown that behaviors such as diabetes management, proper wound treatment, and observing safety practices can be effective in preventing amputations; and
WHEREAS, a recent study predicts that the number of Americans living with limb loss/difference will rise to more than 3.6 million by 2050 unless a major public awareness campaign is launched, and key prevention initiatives put in place; and
WHEREAS, access to appropriate prosthetic care is vital to enable people living with limb loss to reach their full potential, live independently, and have the best quality of life; and
WHEREAS, the Amputee Coalition provides education, support, and advocacy through its National Limb Loss Resource Center for the benefit of individuals with limb loss/difference, their families, and health care providers throughout the United States; and
WHEREAS, the State of North Carolina encourages people to support and advocate for those living with limb loss and their families in our communities;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, ROY COOPER, Governor of the State of North Carolina, do hereby proclaim April, 2024, as “NATIONAL LIMB LOSS AND LIMB DIFFERENCE AWARENESS MONTH” in North Carolina, and commend its observance to all citizens.
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Roy Cooper
Governor
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the Great Seal of the State of North Carolina at the Capitol in Raleigh this twenty-seventh day of March in the year of our Lord two thousand and twenty-four and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-eighth.