PRINTER'S NO. 4379
No. 759 Session of 2008
INTRODUCED BY CURRY, BAKER, BENNINGTON, BEYER, BISHOP, BOBACK,
CALTAGIRONE, COHEN, CREIGHTON, DiGIROLAMO, DONATUCCI,
EVERETT, FAIRCHILD, FLECK, FRANKEL, GEIST, GEORGE, GINGRICH,
GOODMAN, HARPER, HELM, HENNESSEY, HERSHEY, HORNAMAN, JAMES,
JOSEPHS, KENNEY, MAHER, MAJOR, MANTZ, MELIO, MILLARD, MOYER,
MUSTIO, NAILOR, M. O'BRIEN, PARKER, PAYNE, QUINN, RAPP,
RAMALEY, READSHAW, ROCK, ROHRER, ROSS, SAINATO, SAYLOR,
SIPTROTH, STABACK, SWANGER, TRUE, VEREB, VULAKOVICH, WATSON,
J. WHITE AND WOJNAROSKI, SEPTEMBER 19, 2008
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
SEPTEMBER 19, 2008
A RESOLUTION
1 Designating the month of October 2008 as "Neuroblastoma Month"
2 in Pennsylvania and highlighting a special event, Dance
3 Philly! Every Step Counts!, to support the Susanna
4 DeLaurentis Charitable Foundation's efforts to combat this
5 deadly disease.
6 WHEREAS, In the United States, cancer is the leading cause of
7 death by disease among children under 15 years of age; and
8 WHEREAS, In 2007, in the United States, approximately 10,400
9 children under 15 years of age were diagnosed with cancer, and
10 more than 1,500 children were expected to die from cancer; and
11 WHEREAS, Neuroblastoma is an extremely malignant and
12 treatment-resistant form of childhood cancer involving tumors of
13 the sympathetic nervous system; and
14 WHEREAS, Neuroblastoma is often not diagnosed until late in
15 its progression; and
1 WHEREAS, Susanna DeLaurentis of Elkins Park, Montgomery
2 County, was diagnosed with neuroblastoma as a child and was not
3 expected to survive the eight months of aggressive treatment,
4 much of it experimental; and
5 WHEREAS, Children with neuroblastoma may go through multiple
6 rounds of high-dose intensive chemotherapy, followed by surgery,
7 local and total-body radiation and finally an autologous bone
8 marrow transplant; and
9 WHEREAS, Susanna was placed in a full-body cast, in a
10 specially isolated room behind a lead barrier and injected with
11 an experimental radioactive chemical to seek and destroy any
12 malignancy that may have survived the other treatments; and
13 WHEREAS, Although Susanna's remarkable recovery and
14 subsequent five symptom-free years were quite unexpected and
15 were an enduring inspiration to peers and professionals alike,
16 Susanna's symptoms returned when she was only eight years of
17 age; and
18 WHEREAS, Susanna underwent another set of intensive
19 treatments but, despite her successful initial response to
20 treatment, relapsed and passed away at ten years of age on
21 November 27, 1999; and
22 WHEREAS, The Susanna DeLaurentis Charitable Foundation was
23 established to raise funds to support primary research into the
24 causes and possible cure or treatment of neuroblastoma and
25 cystic fibrosis, the most common fatal inherited disease in
26 North America, which affects one in every 3,900 American
27 newborns; and
28 WHEREAS, A special event, Dance Philly! Every Step Counts!,
29 will be held on November 7, 2008, at the Holiday Inn-Stadium in
30 Philadelphia, with the proceeds benefitting the Susanna
20080H0759R4379 - 2 -
1 DeLaurentis Charitable Foundation; therefore be it
2 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives designate the
3 month of October 2008 as "Neuroblastoma Month" in Pennsylvania
4 in memory of Susanna DeLaurentis and all victims of this disease
5 and encourage all the citizens of this Commonwealth to join in
6 the fight against neuroblastoma and other forms of childhood
7 cancer.
I18L82SFL/20080H0759R4379 - 3 -