PRINTER'S NO. 3832
No. 687 Session of 2006
INTRODUCED BY HESS, MAHER, PHILLIPS, ARGALL, BAKER, BALDWIN,
BEBKO-JONES, BEYER, BISHOP, BUNT, CALTAGIRONE, CAPPELLI,
COHEN, CORRIGAN, CRAHALLA, CREIGHTON, CRUZ, DALEY, DeLUCA,
DENLINGER, DERMODY, DeWEESE, DiGIROLAMO, DONATUCCI,
FAIRCHILD, FEESE, FICHTER, FORCIER, FRANKEL, FREEMAN, GEIST,
GEORGE, GILLESPIE, GINGRICH, GODSHALL, GOODMAN, GRUCELA,
HARHART, HENNESSEY, HERSHEY, HICKERNELL, KILLION, KOTIK,
LEDERER, LEH, LESCOVITZ, MAJOR, MANN, MARKOSEK, McGILL,
McILHATTAN, MILLARD, MUNDY, MUSTIO, NAILOR, O'NEILL, PAYNE,
PISTELLA, RAPP, READSHAW, REICHLEY, ROHRER, ROSS, RUBLEY,
SAINATO, SANTONI, SATHER, SAYLOR, SHANER, B. SMITH, SOLOBAY,
STERN, E. Z. TAYLOR, THOMAS, TIGUE, TRUE, TURZAI, WALKO,
WATSON, WILT, WOJNAROSKI, YOUNGBLOOD, PALLONE, MAITLAND, BOYD
AND ARMSTRONG, APRIL 4, 2006
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
APRIL 4, 2006
A RESOLUTION
1 Designating the month of May 2006 as "Cystic Fibrosis Awareness
2 Month" in Pennsylvania.
3 WHEREAS, Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disease affecting
4 approximately 30,000 children and adults in the United States;
5 and
6 WHEREAS, A defective gene causes the body to produce an
7 abnormally thick, sticky mucus that clogs the lungs; and
8 WHEREAS, These secretions produce life-threatening lung
9 infections and obstruct the pancreas, preventing digestive
10 enzymes from reaching the intestines to help break down and
11 absorb food; and
1 WHEREAS, More than 10 million Americans are unknowing,
2 symptomless carriers of the defective CF gene; and
3 WHEREAS, CF occurs in approximately one of every 3,900 live
4 births in the United States; and
5 WHEREAS, The median age of survival for a person with CF is
6 less than 35 years; and
7 WHEREAS, With advances in the treatment of CF, the number of
8 adults with CF has steadily grown; and
9 WHEREAS, Nearly 40% of the CF population is 18 years of age
10 and older; and
11 WHEREAS, People with CF have a variety of symptoms attributed
12 to the more than 1,000 mutations of the CF gene; and
13 WHEREAS, These varied symptoms are associated with a high
14 rate of delay in diagnosis and treatment; and
15 WHEREAS, Infant blood screening to detect genetic defects is
16 the most reliable and least costly method to identify persons
17 likely to have CF; and
18 WHEREAS, Early diagnosis of CF permits early treatment and
19 enhances quality of life and longevity; and
20 WHEREAS, The treatment of CF depends on the stage of the
21 disease and the organs involved; and
22 WHEREAS, Clearing mucus from the lungs is an important part
23 of the daily CF treatment regimen, and other types of treatments
24 include tobramycin solution for inhalation and azithromycin; and
25 WHEREAS, There are world-class treatment centers in this
26 Commonwealth which specialize in the diagnosis of CF and the
27 care of persons with CF; and
28 WHEREAS, Improving the length and quality of life for people
29 with CF starts with awareness; therefore be it
30 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives designate the
20060H0687R3832 - 2 -
1 month of May 2006 as "Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month" in
2 Pennsylvania.
C21L82DMS/20060H0687R3832 - 3 -