MS HC61

Designates May 2020 as "Huntington's Disease Awareness Month" in Mississippi in conjunction with the national observance.

Huntington's Disease is a fatal genetic disorder causing progressive nerve cell breakdown in the brain, with symptoms including motor dysfunction, cognitive decline, and psychiatric changes typically appearing between ages 30-50.

Approximately 41,000 symptomatic Americans and over 200,000 at-risk individuals exist, with each child of an affected parent having a 50% chance of inheriting the faulty gene.

Medications can alleviate some symptoms, but no treatment currently exists to alter the disease's course, and the Huntington's Disease Society of America has committed over $25 million to research since 1999.

Encourages Mississippi citizens to exercise heightened awareness of the disease and support affected individuals, families, and caregivers.