AL HJR161

Recognize May 2019 as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Awareness Month in Alabama.

Acknowledge that ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease with no known cause, prevention, or cure.

Note that nearly 6,000 Americans are diagnosed annually with ALS, with approximately 35,000 currently afflicted, and military veterans face greatly increased risk.

Recognize that ALS patients typically survive 2-5 years after diagnosis and experience progressive muscular atrophy requiring total care, along with difficulty swallowing, talking, and breathing.

Honor the ALS Association and organizations across Alabama actively researching treatments and cures while acknowledging the disease's devastating financial and personal impact on patients and families.