HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.R. NO.	203
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2008		H.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE RESOLUTION

URGING THE GOVERNOR TO DESIGNATE THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER AS "BRAIN ANEURYSM AWARENESS MONTH".

     WHEREAS, a brain aneurysm is a weak bulging spot on the wall of a brain artery very much like a thin balloon or weak spot on an inner tube; and

     WHEREAS, aneurysms form silently from wear and tear on the arteries, and sometimes can form from injury, infection, or inherited tendency; and

     WHEREAS, studies show that about two percent of the United States population has brain aneurysms, and approximately three to six million people in the United States have unruptured brain aneurysms; and

     WHEREAS, brain aneurysms can occur in people of all ages, but are most common in people, ages 35 to 60; and

     WHEREAS, factors that doctors and researchers believe contribute to the formation of brain aneurysms:

(1)  Smoking;

(2)  Traumatic head injury;

(3)  Use of alcohol;

(4)  Use of oral contraceptives;

(5)  Family history of brain aneurysms; or

(6)  Other inherited disorders;

and

     WHEREAS, most people with unruptured brain aneurysms have no symptoms, while others may experience some or all of the following symptoms, which suggest an aneurysm:

(1)  Cranial nerve palsy;

(2)  Dilated pupils;

(3)  Double vision;

(4)  Pain above and behind eye; or

(5)  Localized headache;

and

     WHEREAS, warning signs precede about 40 percent of major ruptures, including:

(1)  Localized headache;

(2)  Nausea and vomiting;

(3)  Stiff neck;

(4)  Blurred or double vision;

(5)  Sensitivity to light; or

(6)  Loss of sensation;

and

     WHEREAS, for the brain aneurysm survivor, there are many stages to recovery, healing, and surviving; and

     WHEREAS, a glimpse of the realities of life as a survivor can be found in the following poem:

"S lowly I wake, no memories of hours past.

U nbelievable circumstances, I did outlast.

R ecovering and healing both lie ahead.

V ictim, not I, but survivor, not dead.

I mpossible to grasp or want to know,

V ery scared and hopeful, both high and low.

O ut of this illness, this tragedy, this pain,

R eal strength, real courage, and real love will remain."

-H. Karp, SAH Survivor;

 and

     WHEREAS, while only scanning technology such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CAT Scan) can detect a brain aneurysm, if detected before it ruptures, an aneurysm can often be treated successfully with microsurgery; and

     WHEREAS, awareness and information are the greatest weapons we have to battle the loss and debilitating effects a brain aneurysm can have on a family and an individual; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-fourth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2008, the Senate concurring, that the Governor is urged to designate the month of September as "Brain Aneurysm Awareness Month"; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Health is urged to develop and implement an awareness campaign for the general public on the effects of brain aneurysms and steps that can be taken to provide for detection and treatment; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Governor and the Director of Health.

Report Title: 

Designates the month of September as "Brain Aneurysm Awareness Month" in Hawaii.