Senate Resolution No. 5436

BY: Senator YOUNG

MEMORIALIZING the Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to
proclaim July 2018, as Arachnoiditis Awareness Month
in the State of New York

WHEREAS, Arachnoiditis is a debilitating, progressive, chronic pain
disorder caused by inflammation of the arachnoid, one of the three
membranes that surround and protect the nerves of the spinal cord; and

WHEREAS, Arachnoiditis attacks cause the arachnoid to become
inflamed because of an irritation caused by chemicals, infection from
bacteria or viruses, a direct injury to the spine, chronic compression
of spinal nerves, or complications from spinal surgery or other invasive
spinal procedures; and

WHEREAS, Arachnoiditis can interfere with the function of one or
more of the central nervous system's nerves, thus causing those
afflicted with the disorder to experience symptoms including numbness,
tingling, or a stinging and burning pain in the lower back or legs;
others afflicted with Arachnoiditis can suffer from debilitating muscle
cramps, twitches, or spasms; and

WHEREAS, Arachnoiditis knows no age limit, and if left unrecognized,
untreated or mistreated, can lead to a variety of symptoms that may
result in devastating consequences which can impair the person's ability
to function independently; and

WHEREAS, Prevention is paramount, and early diagnosis and
intervention is crucial, and correct aggressive treatment by a qualified
medical professional can lead to a positive result; increased awareness
of Arachnoiditis is the key to prevention; and

WHEREAS, Arachnoiditis is believed to affect more females than
males, with approximately 11,000 new cases documented in the United
States each year; because these practices still occur on a fairly
regular basis, it is unlikely that the number of patients diagnosed
annually will decline without a continued effort to increase awareness
of the need for a change in treatment protocol; and

WHEREAS, In 2014, The Art for Arachnoiditis Project began as a
One-to-One Survivor portrait project; since then, it has grown into an
international Creative Wellness Project with a website for survivors
serving 93 countries; there are currently 267 survivors from around the
globe registered at The Art For Arachnoiditis Project alone who receive
these free creative wellness benefits because other support and care are
not available to, or inadequate for them; and

WHEREAS, The State of New York should help inform the public about
the prevalence of this debilitating disease, thus bringing greater
attention to Arachnoiditis so that steps can be put in place for
screening and prevention; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
memorialize Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim July 2018, as

Arachnoiditis Awareness Month in the State of New York; and be it
further

RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo, Governor of the State of
New York, and Sheila L. Kalkbrenner, Founder of The Art For
Arachnoiditis.