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Senate Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2015 - 2016
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | March 28, 2016 12:37 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Senator Stewart J. Greenleaf |
| To: | All Senate members |
| Subject: | Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis Awareness Month |
| I plan to offer a resolution designating May 2016 as “Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis Awareness Month” in Pennsylvania. Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis are chronic diseases that cause inflammation of the digestive and gastrointestinal tract. They are the two main disease categories that belong to a larger group of illnesses called inflammatory bowel disease also known as IBD. In 1932, Dr. Burrill Crohn and two colleagues published a landmark paper describing the features of what is known today as Crohn’s Disease. The exact causes of Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis are unknown and over 1.6 million Americans suffer from IBD. Ten percent of those affected by Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis are children under the age of 18. Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis affect people of all ages, but it is primarily a disease of adolescents and young adults, affecting mainly those between the ages of 15 and 35. The diseases affect males and females equally. Symptoms of Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis include abdominal pain, fever, diarrhea, loss of appetite, and rectal bleeding. Unfortunately, there is no known cure for Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis, only medication to suppress inflammation. Up to 75 percent of people with Crohn’s Disease and about 23 to 45 percent of people with Ulcerative Colitis will eventually require surgery. The Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America, also known as the CCFA, works diligently to research the diseases, provide information and aide to those who suffer from the diseases, and increase national awareness of Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases also conducts and supports research into many kinds of digestive disorders, including Crohn’s Disease. Adoption of this resolution will increase public awareness of Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis sufferers’ circumstances, acknowledge the impact these diseases have on patients and families, and recognize the research for treatment and a cure of Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis. The resolution also urges all Pennsylvanians to learn about these diseases. |
Introduced as SR342