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.
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