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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2015 - 2016
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | October 21, 2015 10:42 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Tommy Sankey |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Coats Eye Disease Awareness Day 2015 |
| In the near future, I intend to introduce a resolution designating November 17, 2015 as “Coats Eye Disease Awareness Day” in Pennsylvania. The purpose of “Coats Eye Disease Awareness Day” is to heighten the awareness of this rare eye disease that mostly afflicts young children and teenagers, can cause blood vessels in one or both eyes to develop abnormally, causing leakage of blood into the eye resulting in trauma, damage, partial or total blindness, or even removal of the eye without early detection, treatment, or surgery. Coats disease was first described in 1908 and is a rare disorder characterized by abnormal development of the blood vessels in the retina. The retina is a nerve-rich tissue lining the back of the eye that transmits light images to the brain, which allows a person to see. Therefore, affected individuals may experience loss of vision due to changes in the retina and, in severe cases, retinal detachment. Coats Eye Disease is not widely known and can be misdiagnosed by some in the medical community, even among retinal specialists. Coats Eye Disease Awareness Day is an important nationwide tool for raising awareness among governmental officials, medical professionals, academic institutions, commercial ventures, and the public about this rare disease, and efforts to increase early detection towards eventually finding a cure Please join me in co-sponsoring this Resolution to raise awareness of this rare disease. |
Introduced as HR586