LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION memorializing Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to
proclaim September 2011 as Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease Awareness Month
in the State of New York

WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to recognize official
days that are set aside to increase awareness of serious issues 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, it is the sense of this Legislative Body to memori-
alize Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim September 2011 as Charcot-
Marie-Tooth Disease Awareness Month in the State of New York; and
WHEREAS, Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) is one of the most common
inherited neurological disorders, affecting approximately 1 in 2,500
people in the United States; and
WHEREAS, The disease is named for the three physicians who first iden-
tified it in 1886, Jean-Martin Charcot and Pierre Marie in Paris,
France, and Howard Henry Tooth in Cambridge, England; and
WHEREAS, CMT, also known as hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy
(HMSN) or peroneal muscular atrophy, comprises a group of disorders that
affect peripheral nerves which lie outside the brain and spinal cord and
supply the muscles and sensory organs in the limbs known as neuropa-
thies; and
WHEREAS, The neuropathy of CMT affects both motor and sensory nerves;
a typical feature includes weakness of the foot and lower leg muscles,
which may result in foot drop and a high-stepped gait with frequent
tripping or falls; and
WHEREAS, Foot deformities, such as high arches and hammertoes are also
characteristic of patients with CMT due to weakness of the small muscles
in the feet; in addition, the lower legs may take on an "inverted cham-
pagne bottle" appearance due to the loss of muscle bulk; and
WHEREAS, Later in the disease, weakness and muscle atrophy may occur
in the hands, resulting in difficulty with carrying out fine motor
skills; and
WHEREAS, Onset of symptoms is most often in adolescence or early
adulthood, but some individuals develop symptoms in mid-adulthood; the
severity of symptoms varies greatly among individuals and even among
family members with the disease; and
WHEREAS, Progression of CMT symptoms is gradual; pain can range from
mild to severe, and some people may need to rely on foot or leg braces
or other orthopedic devices to maintain mobility; and
WHEREAS, Although in rare cases, individuals may have respiratory
muscle weakness, CMT is not considered a fatal disease and people with
most forms of CMT have a normal life expectancy; and
WHEREAS, It is imperative that there be greater public awareness of
this serious health issue, and more must be done to increase activity at
the local, State and national levels to support the patients as well as
their families; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
memorialize Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim September 2011 as Char-
cot-Marie-Tooth Disease 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 Andrew M. Cuomo, Governor of the State of New
York.