Hallelujah. Bonnie Clay Riley ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ivan M Suzman" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Thursday, March 28, 2002 7:42 AM Subject: Parkinson's Community REJOICING - Resolution PASSES/ TEXT follows > Dear Gerry, Debra, Rayilyn, Maxine, > Don McK, janet p., and many more... > > "Parkinson's WAVE Sweeps Capitol" > > Please celebrate with this PWP, > who rolled around the Capitol , in a > wheelchair, and witnessed his Resolution > getting UNANIMOUS SPONSORSHIP in > the House. It was passed there at 10:03 AM, and > as Supplemental paper #9, under the gavel, > in the Senate, yesterday at 1:25 PM. > > Here is my text, as accepted. > > Governor King's aide Colleen, hearing of the Parkinson's > wave that swept the Capitol, is offering a meeting > to us to talk about budget proposals! > > PLEASE note especially, with special reference > to funding needs, paragraph 6. > > God bless you alll- I felt that I was backed, even > though I was the only PWP out there. > > Ivan Suzman > Portland, Maine > 52-39-36 > American Parkinson Disease Association > Volunteer Liaison to the Maine Legislature > > > > > > House Paper 1710 JOINT RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING PARKINSON'S > DISEASE AWARENESS MONTH > > WHEREAS, Parkinson's Disease, or Paralysis Agitans, is a tragic, > progressive disease of the brain and spinal cord . Although it usually > affects adults over 40 years of age, it can occur in any of 3 forms: > Later-life Parkinson's Disease; Young-onset Parkinson's disease, which > affects adults under 40 years of age; and Juvenile-onset Parkinson's > disease, which affects children and teenagers; and > > WHEREAS, Parkinson's Disease often takes a devastating emotional, > social, psychological, physical and financial toll on its patients, as > well as on their families and friends; and > > WHEREAS, Parkinson's Disease appears eventually in approximately one of > 4 persons older than 80 years of age, in one of 10 persons older than 60 > years of age, and in a significant number of people under 35 years of > age; and > > WHEREAS, according to the American Parkinson Disease > Association, there are an estimated 1,500,000 people in the United States > who have been diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease, of which an estimated > 7,000 or more are living in the State of Maine. There are likely to be > as many as another 1,500,000 unknown, uncounted peoplewith Parkinson's > Disease who have never seen a neurologist, bringing Maine's estimated > numbers towards 15,000 or more persons, many of whom are thought to have > a supposedly normal "shaking palsy"; and > > WHEREAS, there are an estimated 60,000 new patients > diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease annually in the United States, one > every 9 minutes, or 6 new patients every hour; and > > WHEREAS, Maine has no Parkinson's Disease public > education curricula or programs, no Parkinson's-oriented human services, > no established medical specialist clinics , no medical specialist > educators, no adult care programs, no mobile diagnostic teams, no human > services specialists,no police or fire department education programs,no > justice and courtroom personnel training, no ambulance or rescue worker > training courses,no adapted housing units, no long-term home-care > planners, no counselling and support specialists, particularly for the > financially needy and the people affected by Parkinson's Disease who > reside alone, despite pressing need statewide; and > > WHEREAS many people with Parkinson's Disease encounter > precarious legal and personal situations when they are mistakenly thought > to be under the influence of illegal or prescription drugs or alcohol, > due to the their unusual movement and gait patterns; and > > WHEREAS, Parkinson's Disease causes a loss of cell function deep within > the brain,and it is currently an incurable brain disorder of unknown > origin that disrupts and can end the lives of those who suffer from it: > and > > WHEREAS, the visible symptoms of Parkinson's Disease, which are > tremors, slowness of movement, shuffling gait, difficulty with balance, > malfunction of vocal cords, lessened facial expression, and the internal > problems, including changes in blood pressure, hypothermia, loss of > visual and auditory reflexes, urinary and kidney-related difficulties and > brain chemistry disruptions causing emotional changes, are often mistaken > as a normal part of the aging process; and > > WHEREAS, medications can only control some of the symptoms of > Parkinson's Disease and only for uncertain periods of time; and > > WHEREAS, there is a great need for further training and education in the > medical and legal professions to protect the rights of persons with > Parkinson's Disease; and > > WHEREAS, there is an urgent need for a Parkinson's Disease clinic in > Maine to give patients easier access to specialists in Parkinson's > Disease, and to provide more effective support programs and services to > Parkinson's Disease patients and their caregivers and families; and > > WHEREAS, increased research is needed to help find more effective > treatments and ultimately to find a cure for Parkinson's Disease; and > > WHEREAS, full implementation of federal law, the Morris K. Udall > Parkinson's Disease Research Act of 1997, which directs the National > Institutes of Health to spend up to $100,000,000 annually on Parkinson's > Disease research, needs continued support; and > > WHEREAS, April 11th has been proclaimed World Parkinson's Disease Day, a > day for all to recognize the need for fundamental research, and to > provide the public with new, open channels of help as they battle against > the devastating effects of Parkinson's Disease; and > > WHEREAS, the leading public officials of the State and leading medical > educators in the State's medical community are now called upon to aid in > reversing the invisibility and virtual voicelessness of its citizens > suffering from Parkinson's Disease; and > > WHEREAS, three prominent North Americans, Muhammad Ali, > Michael J. Fox and former Attorney-General Janet Reno, who are afflicted > with Parkinson's DIsease, are perhaps the only recognized and publicly > known Parkinson's Disease advocates appearing in the media; > > now, therefore, be it RESOLVED: That We, the Members of the One > Hundred and Twentieth Legislature, now assembled in the Second Regular > Session, recognize the month of April as Parkinson's Disease Awareness > Month throughout the State; and be it further > > RESOLVED: That suitable copies of this resolution, duly authenticated > by the Secretary of State, be transmitted to the Maine Parkinson Society > , the Maine Chapter of the American Parkinson Disease Association, and > the state's Board of Licensure in Medicine. > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] > In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn