[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 123, 111th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

123 STAT. 3729
 
PROCLAMATION 8446--OCT. 30, 2009

Proclamation 8446 of October 30, 2009
National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month, 2009
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation

Every day, millions of American families experience the difficult
reality of Alzheimer's disease. The physical and emotional demands of
caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's can be overwhelming, but no one
should face this disease alone. During National Alzheimer's Disease
Awareness Month, we recognize all those living with Alzheimer's disease
and honor the caregivers, including families and friends, who support
them. We also renew our commitment to research that is improving
treatments for this illness and may one day prevent it entirely.
Alzheimer's disease is an irreversible and progressive brain disorder
that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills. Symptoms usually appear
after age 60, but many scientists now believe damage to the brain may
begin decades earlier. Research conducted and supported by the National
Institutes of Health and the Veterans Health Administration has shed
light on these early effects and identified genetic risk factors for
Alzheimer's. Doctors are now able to start treatments earlier, slowing
the loss of brain cells and the progression of debilitating physical and
mental impairments.

As we seek hope for families struggling with Alzheimer's disease, we
must leave no avenue unexplored. Embryonic stem cells may hold the key
for us to better understand, and possibly cure, some of our most
devastating diseases and conditions. That is why I signed an Executive
Order lifting the ban on Federal funding for embryonic stem cell
research, with proper guidelines and strict oversight to prohibit abuse.
We must continue the urgent work of giving substance to hope for all who
dream of a day when words like ``terminal'' and ``incurable'' are
finally retired from our vocabulary. Until then, we must strive to ease
the burden of every individual struggling to recall a spouse's name;
every parent unable to recognize a child's face; and every family member
or friend who brings them comfort and care.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of
America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and
the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim November 2009 as
National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month. I call upon the people of
the United States to observe this month with appropriate programs and
activities.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirtieth day of
October, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
fourth.
BARACK OBAMA