Item Description:
title
Declaring March as GRI Awareness Month in Hennepin County - offered by Commissioner Anderson
body
WHEREAS, GRI disorders are part of a larger family of genetic diseases related to ionotropic glutamate receptors, which play an important role in learning and memory as well as other critical biological functions; and
WHEREAS, parents of children with GRI disorders typically notice that something is wrong when infants begin missing milestones; and
WHEREAS, the most common symptoms of GRI disorders are developmental delay, intellectual disability, epilepsy, hypotonia, severe constipation, limited or non-verbal communication, paroxysmal sympathetic hyperactivity, cortical vision impairment, dystonia, sleep disorders, feeding difficulties, limited mobility and autism; and
WHEREAS, without a genetic diagnosis, some individuals are incorrectly diagnosed with cerebral palsy or other genetic neurodevelopmental disorders such as Angelman Syndrome; and
WHEREAS, the disorder is not degenerative, and biomedical research suggests that neurological symptoms may be reversed even after decades of severe symptoms; and
WHEREAS, there is currently no cure for GRI Disorders - but fortunately, there is hope. Scientists working at hospitals, universities, and pharmaceutical/biotechnology companies around the world are studying NMDA, AMPA, Kainate, and Delta receptors and the genes that code them. Some believe a cure (or multiple cures) will be discovered for GRI Disorders in the next ten to twenty years.
Resolution:
BE IT RESOLVED, that the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners declares March to be GRI Awareness Month and extends their support to all families hoping for a cure.
Recommendation from County Administrator: Recommend Approval