The Village Board declared May as ALS Awareness Month at the May 14, village board meeting.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) more commonly referred to as Lou Gerrig’s disease, is a progressive fatal neuromuscular disorder that occurs when motor nerve cells cease to function and die.  What makes ALS unique compared to most other diseases is there is no known cause, cure or means of prevention.

As this disease progresses the patient experiences difficulty in swallowing, talking and breathing, and eventually causes muscles to atrophy and the patient becomes a functional quadriplegic.  Whereas ALS does not affect a patient’s metal capacity, so that the patient remains alert and aware of their loss of motor functions and the inevitable outcome of continued deterioration and death.  The average ALS patient survives for an average of two to five years from diagnosis.

By declaring May to be an awareness month the hope is to increase the public’s awareness of ALS patients’ circumstances and acknowledges the terrible impact this disease has not only on the patient but on his or her family and the community.  By this proclamation the Village of Bradford hopes and prays for a cure from this horrible disease, acknowledging the research that is currently being done through the Centers of Disease Control to eradicate this disease.

For more information on ALS contact the ALS Association at www.alsa.org