Assembly Resolution No. 374

BY: M. of A. Lavine

MEMORIALIZING Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim
May 2023, as Stroke Awareness Month in the State of
New York

WHEREAS, Every 40 seconds someone in the United States experiences a
stroke; and

WHEREAS, Stroke, or brain attack, is the fifth leading cause of
death in the United States, killing 147,000 people annually; stroke can
happen to anyone at anytime, regardless of race, gender, or age; and

WHEREAS, Each year, about 40 percent of stroke deaths occur in males
and 60 percent in females; and

WHEREAS, Almost 795,000 people will experience a stroke this year;
about 610,000 are new attacks and 185,000 are recurrent attacks; and

WHEREAS, Stroke is a medical emergency; prompt treatment of a stroke
could mean the difference between life and death, complete recovery and
disability; and

WHEREAS, Stroke is a leading cause of adult disability; there are
more than seven million stroke survivors in the United States, with
two-thirds living with moderate to severe disabilities; and

WHEREAS, More than one-third of Americans cannot identify a single
symptom of stroke, such as sudden trouble talking, walking or seeing;
paralysis, usually on one side of the body; and sudden severe headache
with no known cause, even though there is now an easy and F.A.S.T.
(Face, Arms, Speech and Time) stroke recognition system; and

WHEREAS, Understanding the warning signs and obtaining emergency
treatment can save lives, reduce disability, and possibly even reverse
all impacts of the stroke; and

WHEREAS, The chance of having a stroke more than doubles for each
decade of life after age 55; while stroke is common among the elderly,
many people under 65 also have strokes; and

WHEREAS, Each year for the past seven years, nearly 42,000 patients
have been treated for strokes at hospitals in New York State; the
estimated direct and indirect cost of stroke for 2010 is $73.7 billion;
now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
memorialize Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim May 2023, as Stroke
Awareness Month in the State of New York, in conjunction with the
observance of National Stroke Awareness Month, and to encourage all New
Yorkers to ask their doctors about stroke prevention and the warning
signs of stroke; 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.