Assembly Resolution No. 148
BY: M. of A. Raga
MEMORIALIZING Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim
March 2025, as Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month in
the State of New York
WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to recognize
official months that are set aside to increase awareness of serious
illnesses that affect the lives of citizens of New York State; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its
long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to
memorialize Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim March 2025, as Multiple
Sclerosis Awareness Month in the State of New York; and
WHEREAS, New Yorkers place the highest priority on health-related
issues, including the various forms of auto-immune and neurological
conditions striking people of all ages, and one of the most prevalent is
Multiple Sclerosis (MS), which the National MS Society estimates affects
nearly one million Americans, with an estimated 200 new cases diagnosed
each week, or one person every hour of the day; and
WHEREAS, MS affects the Central Nervous System (CNS), and those who
suffer from it have damage done to myelin in the CNS due to overactive
immune cells which cause inflammation; over time, lesions caused by MS
harden into scar tissue, or sclerosis, and may develop at multiple
points in the CNS; this phenomenon is where the disease's name, Multiple
Sclerosis, is derived; and
WHEREAS, Due to the complexity of the CNS, the disease can cause a
wide range of different symptoms and currently, there are more than 50
recognized symptoms that range from mild to life-altering, making it
impossible to predict which symptoms any one individual may experience;
and
WHEREAS, While there are a variety of treatments available to slow
the progress of MS, there are no treatments that can stop or reverse the
damage caused by the disease; early damage to the CNS can occur even
before an individual experiences symptoms, therefore, the best chances
to reduce long-term disability is during the early phase of the disease;
currently, most people with MS have a normal or near normal life
expectancy; and
WHEREAS, MS is more common in women and appears more frequently in
Caucasian women than Hispanic, Asian, or African American women; two to
three times more women are diagnosed with the disease than men; and
WHEREAS, While MS is not considered an inherited disorder, there may
be genetic predispositions to the disease; if you have a parent or
sibling diagnosed with MS, your chance to also have the condition is
raised to 2.5 percent, and a person with an identical twin who is
diagnosed with MS have a 25 percent chance of also developing it; and
WHEREAS, MS is the second most costly chronic condition to manage;
the average cost of disease modifying therapies in the United States is
approximately $60,000 per year, and the total cost per person with MS is
estimated to be $4.1 million; and
WHEREAS, A number of non-profit health organizations, such as the
New York City-Southern New York, Long Island and Upstate New York
Chapters of the National MS Society, are dedicated to the ultimate goal
of eradicating Multiple Sclerosis and to serving those currently living
with the disease; and
WHEREAS, The National MS Society is steadfast in its efforts to find
cures for the disease through medical research, voluntary contributions
and public support; in New York State, the Society serves over 34,000
people living with MS by maintaining offices in Albany, Binghamton,
Buffalo, Syracuse, Rochester, Westchester County, Long Island and New
York City to carry out its compassionate work on behalf of individuals
with the disease and to assist their family members; and
WHEREAS, Today, of the nearly one million Americans diagnosed with
MS, most are between 20 and 50 years of age, making it the number one
disabling condition among young adults, and New York State is committed
to eliminating all auto-immune and neurological conditions, supporting
further medical research, and making quality medical treatment more
available; and
WHEREAS, Recognizing that good health is key to a long, productive
and fulfilling life, this Legislative Body encourages private efforts to
advance research and education programs that address MS, and supports
observances that raise public awareness concerning such critical health
matters as Multiple Sclerosis, with hopes of eliminating all forms of
this devastating disease; and
WHEREAS, Many New Yorkers have been diagnosed with this debilitating
disease; this Legislative Body recognizes the vital importance of the
National MS Society in providing excellence in care through awareness,
education and treatment, and its evident commitment to this mission;
now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
memorialize Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim March 2025, as Multiple
Sclerosis Awareness Month in the State of New York; and be it further
RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to The Honorable Kathy Hochul, Governor of the State of New
York; and the New York City-Southern New York, Long Island and Upstate
New York Chapters of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
