Jonesboro, AR – Jonesboro Right Now – Jonesboro Mayor Harold Copenhaver issued a proclamation during Tuesday’s city council meeting honoring a local child with a rare disease. The proclamation is to raise awareness about the condition.

Banks Mathis and his family were at the podium Tuesday night as Copenhaver declared the month of July Acute Flaccid Myelitis (AFM) Awareness Month in Jonesboro.

AFM is a rare condition affecting the spinal cord, causing the body’s muscles and reflexes to become weak, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

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Since the CDC began tracking the disease in August 2014, there have been 797 cases reported nationwide. Mathis is the only case in Arkansas, Copenhaver said during the proclamation.

Copenhaver said Mathis has been treated at numerous area hospitals and is “doing an amazing job.”

“I couldn’t think of a better person than you to honor,” Copenhaver told Banks during the proclamation. “We’re raising awareness through you by promoting education among families, educators, healthcare professionals, and community members, who are essential to providing recognition to AFM and supporting affected individuals and their families.”

Copenhaver continued: “The City of Jonesboro recognizes local AFM warrior Banks Mathis; his extraordinary courage, his resilience, and unwavering determination has transformed personal challenges into a powerful source of hope, inspiration, and advocacy.”

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