LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION memorializing Governor David A. Paterson to
proclaim June 2010, as Scleroderma Awareness Month in the State of New
York

WHEREAS, The State of New York takes great pride in recognizing and
observing days of awareness of important medical conditions, in the
hopes of increasing education, treatment and cure; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, it is the sense of this Legislative Body to memori-
alize Governor David A. Paterson to proclaim June 2010, as Scleroderma
Awareness Month in the State of New York; and
WHEREAS, Scleroderma, or systemic sclerosis, is a chronic disabling,
and often fatal autoimmune disease in which the body's soft tissues
harden due to an overproduction of collagen; and
WHEREAS, Scleroderma can cause damage to one or more of the body's
organs such as the skin, heart, lungs, kidneys, gastrointestinal tract,
and blood vessels; and
WHEREAS, An estimated 300,000 persons in the United States, 80% of
which are women, have been diagnosed with scleroderma; effective treat-
ments are available for some forms of the disease, although, it is not
yet curable; and
WHEREAS, Promising research is shedding light on the relationship
between the immune system and scleroderma, although the underlying cause
is not yet known; medicines traditionally used to treat other autoimmune
diseases most of the time have little effect on scleroderma; and
WHEREAS, Diagnosis of scleroderma is at times difficult due to its
symptoms often overlapping with other diseases such as lupus, rheumatoid
arthritis and polymyositis; and
WHEREAS, Scleroderma Awareness Month provides the opportunity to
educate people and bring the much needed attention to this condition,
with the hopes of igniting increased research and funding for the dual
purpose of improving treatment and discovering the cause and cure for
this horrific disease; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
memorialize Governor David A. Paterson to proclaim June 2010, as Sclero-
derma Awareness Month in the State of New York; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to The Honorable David A. Paterson, Governor of the State of New
York.