Dear friends,
Below, for those of you who have again requested it, I am reposting the
new, 8-paragraph PARKINSON's DISEASE AWARENESS MONTH proclamation issued
on March 20th, 1997, and mailed to me by Kerri Malinowski in the office
of Gov. Angus S. King, Jr. of Maine. Please feel free to refer to it in
your phone calls and visits to your state's Governor.
RHODE ISLAND is the 9th state that apparently has an effort under way to
try to get a gubernatorial proclamation recognizing AWARENESS MONTH.
Also, Cathy Thomas, R.N., and Parkinson's Clinic nurse at Boston
University, plans to mention the proclamation at the New England
Committee to Pass the Udall BIll meeting on Tuesday, April 1st.
If you need help or suggestions on how to make headway with your state's
governor, or if you have information to share on the state-by-state list
of AWARENESS MONTH efforts, please post to the list. I will try to
re-post a state-by-state summary again in about one week.
Good luck with your efforts to increase AWARENESS!
Ivan Suzman
47/10 [log in to unmask]
Portland, Me...land of lighthouses....39 deg....first spring robin seen
today
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STATE OF MAINE
P r o c l a m a t i o n
WHEREAS, Parkinson's Disease is a brain disorder that usually affects
adults over 40, although it can appear in younger patients; and
WHEREAS, more individuals suffer from Parkinson's Disease than multiple
sclerosis, muscular dystrophy and Lou Gehrig's Disease combined; and
WHEREAS, according to the American Parkinson's DIsease Association there
are approximately 1.5 million people in the United States diagnosed with
Parkinson's Disease, of which 7,000 or more are in the State of Maine;
and
WHEREAS, the symptoms of Parkinson's Disease - stillness, tremor,
slowness, poor movement, and difficulty with balance and speaking - are
often mistaken as a normal part of the aging process; and
WHEREAS, the cause of the disease is unknown, and antiparkinsonian drugs
can only control some of the symptoms of Parkinson's Disease for a short
period of time; and
WHEREAS, April 11 has been proclaimed to be World Parkinson's Day,
a day for all to recognize the need for more research and help in dealing
with the devastating effects of Parkinson's Disease; and
WHEREAS, increased education and research are needed to help find more
effective treatments and ultimately a cure for Parkinson's Disease, and
to provide more effective support programs and services to Parkinson's
DIsease patients, their caregivers and families,
NOW, THEREFORE, I, ANGUS S. KING, JR., Governor of the State of Maine, do
hereby proclaim April, 1997 as
P A R K I N S O N' S D I S E A S E A W A R E N E S S M O N T H
throughout the State of Maine, and urge all citizens to extend their
support for those struggling with Parkinson's Disease and the loved ones
trying to help fight the battle.
(State seal) In testimony whereof, I
have
caused the Great
Seal of the
State to be
hereunto affixed
GIVEN under my
hand at Augusta this twentieth day of March in the
Year of our Lord One Thousand Nine
Hundred and Ninety-Seven
(signed)
Angus S. King, Jr.
Governor
(signed)
Dan A. Gwadosky
Secretary of State
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