WHEREAS, Transverse myelitis is a neurological disorder with an estimated 1,400 new cases diagnosed in the United States each year, affecting 2 to 5 persons per million, but transverse myelitis is not widely recognized by the general public as being a significant and serious neurological disorder affecting the spinal cord; and

WHEREAS, Transverse myelitis is a devastating condition, affecting the neurological system by targeting the covering nerve cell fibers and myelin, and causing the spinal cord to become inflamed; and

WHEREAS, Several factors may cause transverse myelitis, including certain infections, vaccinations, immune system disorders, or an episode of other myelin disorders such as multiple sclerosis; however, in 60 percent of cases a cause cannot be identified, an idiopathic form of transverse myelitis; and

WHEREAS, Symptoms of transverse myelitis include severe neurological pain, muscle weakness, abnormal sensations, and numbness of the lower extremities, as well as possible progression to paralysis, sensory loss, and cognitive issues; and

WHEREAS, Transverse myelitis is often overlooked; and

WHEREAS, Recovery from transverse myelitis may be difficult, requiring months of treatment, and only one-third of patients diagnosed with transverse myelitis, through drugs and therapy, are able to make an almost full recovery, and two-thirds of patients deal with severe symptoms or even complete paraplegia or quadriplegia and possibly death caused by complications from transverse myelitis; and

WHEREAS, The Transverse Myelitis Network, with more than 1,560 members, and the Transverse Myelitis Folks, with more than 2,100 members, are support, information, and resource Internet Web sites which began in October 2008, and membership in each group continues to grow in nearly every state in the United States and in many countries throughout the world; and

WHEREAS, If this condition were more widely recognized, diagnosis and further scientific research would benefit those individuals who live with this condition; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly thereof concurring, That the Legislature declares June 6, 2017, as California Transverse Myelitis Awareness Day; and be it further

Resolved, That the Legislature supports legislation and policies that educate the public and medical community about transverse myelitis, support adults and children living with transverse myelitis with increased research and improving treatment and therapies, and provide assistance and resources for the families and caregivers of individuals living with transverse myelitis; and be it further

Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.