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Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2015 - 2016 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted: April 14, 2015 09:45 AM
From: Senator Mike Folmer
To: All Senate members
Subject: Resolution: May 6, 2015 as “Wishbone Day” in Pennsylvania
 
I will be offering a resolution declaring May 6, 2015 as “Wishbone Day” in Pennsylvania. Wishbone Day began in 2010, and is an international awareness effort for osteogenesis imperfecta (OI).

OI is a genetic disorder characterized by fragile bones that break easily, and also known as “brittle bone disease.” In addition to fractures, people with OI often have muscle weakness, hearing loss, fatigue, joint laxity, curved bones, scoliosis, blue sclerae, dentinogenesis imperfecta (brittle teeth) and short stature.

OI is caused by a mutation in a gene that affects the body’s production of the collagen found in bones and other tissues. Genetic testing is available to confirm a diagnosis of OI through collagen or gene analysis, where a skin or blood sample are used to study the amount of Type 1 collagen or to do a DNA analysis.

There are eight types of OI that range in severity from a lethal form to a milder form with few visible symptoms, and a person with mild OI may experience a few fractures, while those with the severe forms may have hundreds in a lifetime. The number of people affected with OI in the United States is thought to be 20,000 to 50,000, with 80 to 85 percent caused by a dominant genetic gene and 10 to 15 percent a result of a recessive mutation.

Life expectancy is not affected in people with mild or moderate symptoms, but life expectancy may be shortened for those with more severe symptoms, with respiratory failure being the most frequent cause of death for people with OI, followed by accidental trauma. Although there are treatments that focus on minimizing fractures, and maximizing mobility and independent function, there is currently no cure.

This was SR 386 last session, with FOLMER, SMUCKER, FERLO, WOZNIAK, WASHINGTON, STACK, ERICKSON, GREENLEAF, FONTANA, BROWNE, ALLOWAY, DINNIMAN, SMITH, KASUNIC, FARNESE, BREWSTER, RAFFERTY, PILEGGI, COSTA and BRUBAKER as co-sponsors.

Please join me in supporting OI awareness by co-sponsoring this “Wishbone Day” Resolution. Thank you for your consideration.



Introduced as SR114