CACNA1A Awareness Day

By virtue of the authority vested by the Constitution of Virginia in the Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, there is hereby officially recognized:

WHEREAS, the lives of Virginians are affected by genetic variants on the CACNA1A gene; and,

WHEREAS, a diagnosis of a genetic variant on the CACNA1A gene means an individual could have neurodevelopmental differences, epilepsy, ataxia, migraines, cerebellar atrophy and eye movement disorders; and,

WHEREAS, CACNA1A is a gene located on the short arm of the 19th chromosome that plays a vital role in the communication between neurons in the brain, and a change in the gene alters the function of the calcium channels affecting the release of neurotransmitters; and,

WHEREAS, individuals with a variant on the CACNA1A gene can experience life-altering neurological emergencies of hemiplegic migraine attack, stroke, coma, seizure emergencies, and cerebral edema; and,

WHEREAS, treatment options for individuals with a CACNA1A gene variant are limited and there is no cure; and,

WHEREAS, it is imperative that there be greater public awareness of this health issue, and more must be done to increase activity at the local, state and national levels;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Glenn Youngkin, do hereby recognize March 19, 2022 as CACNA1A AWARENESS DAY in our COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, and I call this observance to the attention of our citizens.

Governor of Virginia

Proclamations