Matthews Association

MS month

Mar 03, 2004

State Representative Mario Civera Designates March As Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month

The General Assembly passed a resolution introduced by Rep. Mario Civera (R-Delaware) this week, designating the month of March 2004 as "Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month" in Pennsylvania.

"My colleagues in the General Assembly and I are committed to the continued support of a cure for MS through the adoption of this resolution each year," Civera said. "By keeping awareness of the disease at a high level, the public will not fear multiple sclerosis or shy away from those who are afflicted with this disease."

The resolution introduced by Civera and passed by the General Assembly for the past three years was instituted on the perseverance of one Upper Darby woman. She encouraged the legislator to introduce the resolution and each March, Civera re-introduces the same resolution declaring a national awareness month for the Commonwealth.

MS is thought to be an autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous
system, which consists of the brain, spinal cord, and the optic nerves. MS is a chronic, unpredictable neurological disease, which is not contagious and is not directly inherited.

MS is not considered a fatal disease, and the majority of people with MS do not become severely disabled. There is no cure for MS yet, but medication can help slow the course and/or symptoms in some patients.

"We must continue to find new medications, techniques and procedures that will help those living with and battling MS," Civera said. "It is my hope that one day doctors and scientists will be able to find a cure to this debilitating
disease."

For more information about multiple sclerosis, visit the national MS Web site at www.nationalmssociety.com.

Rep. Mario Civera, Jr.
164th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
(610) 853-4115
(717) 787-3850
www.mariocivera.com
Contact: Kristen Lavis
House Republican Communications
(717) 787-3993
www.pahousegop.com