WHEREAS, Mitochondria are the power plants in every cell of a person’s body and create more than ninety percent of the energy needed by the body to sustain life and support growth; and
WHEREAS, Mitochondria may not function correctly due to genetic defects, damage caused by drugs or damage caused by destructive molecules called free radicals; and
WHEREAS, When mitochondria fail, cell injury and cell death follow, and if the process is repeated through the body, whole systems begin to fail; and
WHEREAS, Mitochondrial diseases can cause isolated symptoms like seizures, low blood counts, blindness, deafness, dementia, heart failure and progressive muscle weakness, but more often they cause failure of several organ systems in sequence; and
WHEREAS, Although mitochondrial disease can affect any person at any age, they primarily affect children, many of which die before their teenage years; and
WHEREAS, It is estimated that each year more than one in four thousand children in the United States will develop a mitochondrial disease by ten years of age; and
WHEREAS, Since mitochondrial disorders mimic other disease, it is believed that they are under-diagnosed; and
WHEREAS, Currently no cures or effective therapies exist, but early diagnosis can help patients and their families use proper medication and nutritional supplements to improve their quality of life and even prolong life; and
WHEREAS, It is appropriate that all citizens of the City of Sulphur be better informed about mitochondrial diseases and their impact;
I, RON LELEUX, Mayor of the City of Sulphur, do hereby proclaim the third full week of September of every year as: “MITOCHONDRIAL DISEASE AWARENESS WEEK”
in the City of Sulphur and encourage all citizens to acknowledge this in our community.
Sulphur, La. —
