-- [ From: Bob Martone * EMC.Ver #2.5.3 ] --
The The Parkinson Disease Awareness Day Proclamation from Governor Bush
follows.
Several have requested it so I am forwarding it through the PD list.
We managed to get the NPF (Baylor) , APDA (Lubbock) and the local
Parkinson Society (Houston) mentioned.
OFFICIAL MEMORANDUM
STATE OF TEXAS
OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
Parkinson's disease (PD), a chronic neuro-degenerative condition,
strikes
most commonly in people over the age of 55, but it can occur in younger
people.
An estimated 1 million to 1.5 million Americans suffer from Parkinson's.
Symptoms of PD can range from difficulty with balance and walking,
reduced
volume and speech clarity to slowness of movement and muscular rigidity
and
tremor. Neurologists diagnose Parkinson's by taking a thorough medical
history
and doing a careful clinical examination. In many cases, tests are done
to rule out
other conditions that resemble PD.
Researchers believe that Parkinson's results from the death of brain
cells that produce dopamine. This dopamine deficiency leads to an
interference in the
transmission of messages between the nerve cells making initiating
movement
difficult. There is no cure or prevention for Parkinson's disease.
The Parkinson Society is dedicated to providing direct patient services
to
those suffering from PD and to promoting education and awareness about
the
disease. The Lone Star State is among the leaders in research for
Parkinson's
disease with groundbreaking research being conducted at Baylor College
of
Medicine, The University of Texas at Houston and St. Mary's of the
Plains Hospital
at Texas Tech University.
I urge all Texans to recognize the suffering of Parkinson's disease
patients
and their families and to support efforts to find a cure for the disease
..
Therefore, I, George W. Bush, Governor of Texas, do hereby proclaim
April 11, 1998,
Parkinson's Disease Awareness Day
in Texas and urge the appropriate recognition whereof.
In official recognition whereof,
I here affix my signature
6th day of April, 1998.
Governor of Texas
George W. Bush
