Senate Resolution No. 849

BY: Senator CANZONERI-FITZPATRICK

MEMORIALIZING Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim
July 2025, as Juvenile Arthritis 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
issues that affect the lives of residents of New York State; and

WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its
long- standing traditions, it is the sense of this Legislative Body to
memorialize Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim July 2025, as Juvenile
Arthritis Month in the State of New York; and

WHEREAS, Juvenile arthritis (JA) is an umbrella term that refers to
pediatric rheumatic diseases, including juvenile idiopathic arthritis
and other musculoskeletal conditions which can occur in children
16-years-old and younger; JA affects nearly 300,000 children in the
United States, some as young as a few months old; and

WHEREAS, Juvenile idiopathic arthritis is the most common type of
arthritis in children; there are several different subtypes of JIA:
oligoarticular JIA, polyarticular JIA, systemic JIA, enthesitis-related
JIA, juvenile psoriatic arthritis and undifferentiated JIA; and

WHEREAS, Although the various types of JA and JIA share many common
symptoms, such as pain, joint swelling, and redness and warmth, each
type of JA is distinct and has its own special concerns and symptoms;
some types of JA affect the musculoskeletal system; JA can also involve
the eyes, skin, muscles and gastrointestinal tract; and

WHEREAS, Moreover, juvenile arthritis and related conditions are
often compounded by other illnesses, such as uveitis (inflammation of
the eye), skin ailments, and other comorbidities that affect the heart,
lungs and other vital organs; and

WHEREAS, Juvenile arthritis can also have a profound effect on a
child's mental and emotional well-being; it was found that 65% of kids
with arthritis have moderate to severe depressive symptoms according to
research conducted by the Arthritis Foundation; and

WHEREAS, Arthritis and other rheumatic conditions (collectively
known as AORC) in youth have accounted for an average of 50 deaths each
year in the United States between 1979 and 1998; and

WHEREAS, The treatments used for JA focus on improving quality of
life for young people; in some cases, pain medication is the solution,
but in other cases anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) are used; doctors
may also prescribe DMARDs, a family of drugs that are designed to slow
the progression of the juvenile arthritis; and

WHEREAS, Arthritis is a much too common problem that can prevent one
from living the life they desire; however, physicians can help patients
with arthritis achieve a higher quality of life by devising an effective

strategy for combating the issue, restoring normalcy and comfort to an
individual's life; and

WHEREAS, Through public awareness, this Legislative Body seeks to
minimize the devastating effects of JA among the young people of the
State of New York; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
memorialize Governor Kathy Hochul to declare July 2025, as Juvenile
Arthritis Month in the State of New York, and to urge the residents of
this great Empire State to learn about the causes, symptoms, diagnoses
and treatments; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to The Honorable Kathy Hochul, Governor of the State of New
York.