SENATE MEMORIAL 13

56th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2023

INTRODUCED BY

Leo Jaramillo and Antonio Maestas

A MEMORIAL

PROCLAIMING JANUARY 31, 2023 "ALS AWARENESS DAY" IN THE SENATE.

     WHEREAS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, ALS, is also known as Lou Gehrig's disease; and

     WHEREAS, ALS has no known cause, no means of prevention and no cure; and

     WHEREAS, ALS does not affect a patient's mental capacity, so the patient remains alert and aware of the patient's loss of motor functions and of the inevitable outcome of continued deterioration and death; and

     WHEREAS, ALS is a fatal neurodegenerative disease that is characterized by degeneration of the cell bodies of the lower motor neurons in the gray matter of the anterior horns of the spinal cord; and

     WHEREAS, ALS eventually causes muscles to atrophy, and the patient becomes a functional quadriplegic; and

     WHEREAS, research indicates that military veterans have a fifty percent greater risk of developing ALS than those who have not served in the military; and

     WHEREAS, an estimated one hundred fifty New Mexicans are living with ALS at any given time; and

     WHEREAS, in 2010, soon after his twenty-eighth birthday, former university of New Mexico lobo and Albuquerque high school soccer star Patrick Grange was diagnosed with ALS, making him the youngest ALS patient in New Mexico; and

     WHEREAS, despite fighting this terrible disease as hard as he could, Pat died of ALS on April 10, 2012, which led to several "Patrick Grange ALS Awareness Days" designated at the state capitol; and

     WHEREAS, the Grange family has supported numerous New Mexico families affected by ALS over the past decade in collaboration with ALS New Mexico by providing guidance and direction when caring for a someone with ALS; and

     WHEREAS, ALS New Mexico is a local nonprofit organization that supports, on average, one hundred thirty people living with ALS and their loved ones; and

     WHEREAS, ALS New Mexico leaves no stone unturned by navigating financial hardships through respite grants, access to life-changing clinical care at the university of New Mexico hospital and providing adaptive equipment free of charge; and

     WHEREAS, ALS New Mexico helps many families through funding, direct services and capacity support, as well as bringing awareness of ALS through educational opportunities to New Mexicans; and

     WHEREAS, ALS New Mexico's combined fundraising events have welcomed over four hundred golfers, eight hundred walkers and countless ALS advocates resulting in over four hundred eighty-thousand dollars ($480,000) raised for ALS families in New Mexico; and

     WHEREAS, "ALS Awareness Day" will increase public awareness of ALS patients' circumstances, acknowledge the terrible impact the disease has, not only on the patient but also on the patient's family and community, and recognize the services being provided to families affected by ALS and the research being done to eradicate this horrible disease; and

     WHEREAS, we as a community join in collective support to combat ALS and improve the quality of life for patients, families and New Mexicans affected by ALS;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that January 31, 2023 be proclaimed "ALS Awareness Day" in the senate; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the chair of the interim legislative health and human services committee and ALS New Mexico.

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