HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 2001-4651, by Representatives Veloria, Cody, Schual‑Berke, Campbell, Kenney, Mitchell, Dunn, Van Luven, Clements, Alexander, Quall, Armstrong, McDermott and Esser

      WHEREAS, Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an unpredictable neurological disease that affects nearly a third of a million people in the United States; and

      WHEREAS, Approximately 200 people each week are diagnosed with MS, more than one person every hour; and

      WHEREAS, The unpredictable physical and emotional effects, such as blurred vision, loss of balance, poor coordination, slurred speech, tremors, numbness, extreme fatigue, even paralysis and blindness, can last the rest of their lives; and

      WHEREAS, Onset of symptoms occurs most often between the ages of 20 and 40, at the prime of life when the impact of a chronic illness can be most damaging to family and career; and

      WHEREAS, MS can be a very costly illness to an individual in terms of lost wages estimated annually at $22,000, the cost of health care estimated annually at $21,500, as well as time spent by family members providing care; and

      WHEREAS, Approximately 150-220 per 100,000 people in Washington state have MS, making the incidence rate in this state one of the highest in the nation; and

      WHEREAS, The National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Greater Washington Chapter services over 6,500 people with multiple sclerosis in 23 Western and Central Washington counties; and

      WHEREAS, Every month the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Greater Washington Chapter responds to hundreds of requests for information from people newly diagnosed with the disease, their families, friends, employers, and health professionals; and

      WHEREAS, The Pacific Northwest Alliance of MS Centers works in collaboration with community clinicians, nurses, researchers, and persons affected by multiple sclerosis to organize ongoing patient educational lecture series; and

      WHEREAS, The Pacific Northwest Alliance of MS Centers is working toward conducting collaborative clinical research to develop and maintain a common patient data base; and

      WHEREAS, The MS clinics in the region are working towards sharing information about specific resources available, educational events, research opportunities, emerging findings in MS research, and ideas for improving MS patient care;

      NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the state of Washington declare the month of May to be MS Awareness Month, to educate the residents of Washington state about this disease; and

      BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the state of Washington also recognize that the Pacific Northwest is a region with one of the highest concentrations of MS in the country, and there is great demand for specialized MS care.

          I hereby certify this to be a true and correct copy of

         Resolution 4651 adopted by the House of Representatives

                             April 20, 2001.

________________________________             _____________________________

Timothy A. Martin, Co-Chief Clerk          Cynthia Zehnder, Co-Chief Clerk