December 2019: Progressive Supranuclear Palsy Awareness Month

WHEREAS, the health and safety of all Michiganders is important to the happiness, prosperity, and well-being of our families, community, and economy; and,

WHEREAS, Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) is an uncommon neurodegenerative disease affecting nerve cells that control mobility, balance, walking, speech, swallowing, vision, behavior, and cognitive abilities; and,

WHEREAS, approximately 20,000 Americans have PSP with symptoms typically starting after age 60, but as early as age 40; and,

WHEREAS, PSP was first described as a distinct disorder in 1964 when scientists first published a paper distinguishing it from Parkinson’s Disease; and,  

WHEREAS, there is no known treatment, cure, or known cause of PSP; and,

WHEREAS, new discoveries are being made daily for PSP in the scientific community, specifically through the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, a component of the National Institutes of Health; and,  

WHEREAS, further research on PSP is critical, as people affected with PSP can become severely disabled within 3 to 5 years of onset; and,

WHEREAS, Michigan is joining the nation in raising awareness of PSP and its impact on families with loved ones who suffer from it; and,

WHEREAS, during this month, we should remember and recognize those who are living with PSP and those who have died from complications due to PSP, as well as continue to make efforts to find treatments or a cure for this disease.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Gretchen Whitmer, governor of Michigan, do hereby proclaim December 2019 as Progressive Supranuclear Palsy Awareness Month in Michigan.