PRINTER'S NO. 1251
No. 208 Session of 2007
INTRODUCED BY SOLOBAY, ARGALL, BAKER, BARRAR, BELFANTI, BENNINGHOFF, BEYER, BIANCUCCI, BISHOP, BOBACK, BOYD, BUXTON, CALTAGIRONE, CAPPELLI, CLYMER, COHEN, CONKLIN, COSTA, CREIGHTON, CRUZ, CURRY, DeLUCA, DePASQUALE, DiGIROLAMO, DONATUCCI, EACHUS, J. EVANS, FABRIZIO, FRANKEL, FREEMAN, GABIG, GALLOWAY, GEIST, GEORGE, GIBBONS, GILLESPIE, GINGRICH, GOODMAN, GRUCELA, HANNA, HARRIS, HENNESSEY, HERSHEY, HESS, HICKERNELL, JAMES, KENNEY, KILLION, KING, KIRKLAND, KORTZ, KULA, LEACH, MAHER, MAHONEY, MAJOR, MANN, MANTZ, MARKOSEK, MARSICO, McGEEHAN, McILHATTAN, MILLARD, MOYER, MURT, MUSTIO, NAILOR, PALLONE, PARKER, PAYNE, PETRONE, PHILLIPS, PYLE, QUIGLEY, QUINN, RAMALEY, RAPP, READSHAW, REICHLEY, ROSS, RUBLEY, SAINATO, SANTONI, SAYLOR, SCAVELLO, SCHRODER, SIPTROTH, SONNEY, R. STEVENSON, SURRA, TANGRETTI, THOMAS, VEREB, VULAKOVICH, WALKO, WANSACZ, WATERS, WATSON, WOJNAROSKI AND YOUNGBLOOD, APRIL 13, 2007
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35, APRIL 13, 2007
A RESOLUTION 1 Designating the month of April 2007 as "Lupus Alert Month" in 2 Pennsylvania. 3 WHEREAS, Lupus is a chronic, inflammatory autoimmune disease 4 which causes the immune system to attack the body's own tissue 5 and organs, including the kidneys, heart, lungs, brain, blood or 6 skin; and 7 WHEREAS, Lupus affects one out of every 185 Americans and 8 primarily strikes women between the ages of 15 and 45, but men 9 as well as children are also affected; and 10 WHEREAS, Lupus is more prevalent in African Americans,
1 Latinos, Native Americans and Asians; and 2 WHEREAS, Lupus is America's least known major disease but 3 strikes more people than sickle-cell anemia, multiple sclerosis, 4 cerebral palsy and cystic fibrosis combined; and 5 WHEREAS, Thousands of Americans die each year from lupus- 6 related complications; and 7 WHEREAS, Lupus is often referred to as "the disease that 8 fools," due to the patient's unawareness of its presence for 9 extended periods of time; and 10 WHEREAS, Clinicians may confuse lupus with other disorders, 11 and persons with lupus may give the appearance of being healthy; 12 and 13 WHEREAS, The majority of Pennsylvanians do not understand 14 lupus, how widespread it is or its ramifications for the health 15 care industry; and 16 WHEREAS, With early diagnosis and current methods of therapy, 17 80% to 90% of persons with lupus can look forward to a normal 18 life span if they follow the instructions of their physician, 19 take medications as prescribed and know when to seek medical 20 assistance; and 21 WHEREAS, The Lupus Foundation of Pennsylvania, a nonprofit 22 volunteer health organization with a history of service since 23 1975, provides supportive services to the victims of lupus, 24 funds medical research into the disease's causes and possible 25 treatments and educates the public concerning the realities of 26 lupus; therefore be it 27 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives designate the 28 month of April 2007 as "Lupus Alert Month" in Pennsylvania. C22L82BIL/20070H0208R1251 - 2 -