Virginia designates May as Progressive Supranuclear Palsy Month of Awareness
May 03, 2024 Oscar Sullivan
The Virginia General Assembly has designated May, in 2024 and in each succeeding year, as Progressive Supranuclear Palsy Month of Awareness in Virginia. The decision was announced by G. Paul Nardo, Clerk of the Virginia House of Delegates, and detailed in House Joint Resolution (HJR) 13. The joint resolution notes the challenges faced by those living with PSP, including neurodegeneration and misdiagnoses, and identifies CurePSP as the leading nonprofit organization dedicated to raising awareness and promoting care programs and cure research for PSP, corticobasal degeneration (CBD) and multiple system atrophy (MSA). The document also names U.S. Representative Jennifer Wexton, a friend and former colleague who previously served in the Senate of Virginia, as a courageous fighter living with PSP and amplifying the voices of those like her.
"Progressive Supranuclear Palsy Month of Awareness provides an opportunity for all Virginians to learn more about progressive supranuclear palsy and seek ways to support research into treatment and cures or to provide hope and assistance to people living with the disease and their families."
HJR 13 recognizes that there are no known effective treatments, causes or cure for PSP, and says that it is vital to continue supporting research on the disease. The designation continues advocacy momentum that began with the passage of the Dr. Emmanuel Bilirakis and Honorable Jennifer Wexton National Plan to End Parkinson’s Act through the U.S. House of Representatives in December 2023, a bill that seeks to create an advisory council of experts to coordinate federal efforts around the Parkinsonian diseases, including PSP, CBD and MSA, and report annually to Congress on the progress made to prevent, treat and cure the diseases.
HJR 13 capitalized on Rep. Wexton’s awareness efforts and stands as a testament to the power of advocacy, which CurePSP hopes will continue to bring these diseases into the mainstream and improve resources for our community members.