March 2022: Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder Awareness Month

WHEREAS, Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder (NMOSD) is a rare and relatively unknown autoimmune disease that currently has no cure; and,

 

WHEREAS, NMOSD attacks the central nervous system and can cause lifetime
disability, including blindness and/or paralysis; and,

 

WHEREAS, the cause of NMOSD is still a mystery and there are only a few FDA - approved treatments for NMOSD; and,

 

WHEREAS, when mistaken for other diseases, treatments can exacerbate NMOSD symptoms; and,

 

WHEREAS, increasing awareness about and testing of NMOSD has caused diagnoses to rise, as doctors have become more likely to recognize the varying manifestations of the disease; and,
 

WHEREAS, the NMOSD community is dedicated to increasing awareness and understanding about this disease to promote research, improved patient care and outcomes, and to ultimately find a cure;

 

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Gretchen Whitmer, governor of Michigan, do hereby proclaim March 2022 as Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder Awareness Month.