LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION memorializing Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to
proclaim September of 2016, as Chiari Malformation Awareness 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 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 of 2016, as Chiari
Malformation Awareness Month in the State of New York; and
WHEREAS, On September 17, 2016, the annual Conquer Chiari Walk/Run
Across America will be held in Rome, New York; and
WHEREAS, Chiari Malformation is a serious neurological disorder
affecting well over 300,000 people in the United States; it was first
identified by Austrian pathologist Professor Hans Chiari in the 1890's,
and is categorized in order of severity by CM types 0, 1, 1.5, 2, 3 and
4; and
WHEREAS, Chiari Malformations are defects in the cerebellum, the part
of the brain that controls balance; these defects create pressure on the
cerebellum and brain stem, and may block the normal flow of cerebral
spinal fluid to and from the brain; and
WHEREAS, The cause of Chiari I Malformation is unknown, but scientists
believe it is either a congenital condition caused by exposure to harm-
ful substances during fetal development or that it can be a genetic
condition, as it may appear in more than one family member; and
WHEREAS, Chiari Malformation symptoms usually appear during adoles-
cence or early adulthood and can include severe head and neck pain,
vertigo, muscle weakness, balance problems, blurred vision or double
vision, difficulty swallowing and sleep apnea; and
WHEREAS, The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
of the National Institutes of Health is conducting research to find
alternative surgical options and identify the cause of the malformations
to create improved treatment and prevention plans; and
WHEREAS, Currently, there is a great need for physician education with
regard to the treatment and ongoing care of persons afflicted with
Chiari Malformation; more work is necessary to update and change physi-
cian education for the safety and betterment in the quality of life for
the hundreds of thousands of suffering Chiari patients; and
WHEREAS, Chiari Malformation Awareness Month in the State of New York
provides an opportunity to focus on this significant and complex
disease, to provide information on and raise public awareness of the
cause, effects and treatments, and to underscore important education and
research efforts surrounding Chiari Malformation; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
memorialize Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim September of 2016, as
Chiari Malformation 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.