The Nassau County Board of County Commissioners on Oct. 13 proclaimed October 2025 as “Emily Atkins Blood Clot Awareness Month,” recognizing local advocacy by Emily's Promise and citing the state Emily Atkins Family Protection Act.

Commissioner Gray read the proclamation on behalf of the board, which recounted that Emily Atkins died Oct. 21, 2022, from a pulmonary embolism and described Emily as a Fernandina Beach High School and University of North Florida graduate and community volunteer. The proclamation referenced national statistics included in the text presented to the board: an estimated 900,000 Americans affected by blood clots each year and about 100,000 deaths annually, per the National Blood Clot Alliance and other materials cited in the proclamation.

The proclamation noted that advocacy by Emily's Promise contributed to enactment of the Emily Atkins Family Protection Act in Florida, which the proclamation describes as requiring hospitals and certain health care facilities to screen patients for blood‑clot risk, train staff to recognize warning signs and report cases to a statewide registry. County Attorney Denise C. May approved the proclamation as to form.

After the board action, Janet Adkins, of 863 Laguna Drive in Fernandina Beach and an advocate with Emily's Promise, thanked the board and described the breadth of constituent experiences that accompanied the group's legislative work: "We had no idea blood clots were affecting so many Floridians and Americans and especially those that are so young," she said, referring to Emily Atkins, who was 23 when she died after an ankle fracture.

Adkins told the board the group is working on outreach including a documentary to be screened at the AMC theater in Yulee in the first quarter of next year.

The board members and staff in attendance recognized the family and the nonprofit's advocacy work; the proclamation will be filed with the county records.