PRINTER'S NO. 4074
No. 829 Session of 2008
INTRODUCED BY METCALFE, ADOLPH, BENNINGTON, BEYER, BROOKS,
CALTAGIRONE, CAUSER, CLYMER, COHEN, CREIGHTON, DeLUCA,
DiGIROLAMO, DONATUCCI, FAIRCHILD, FLECK, FRANKEL, GEIST,
GEORGE, GIBBONS, GILLESPIE, GINGRICH, GODSHALL, GOODMAN,
GRUCELA, HARHART, HELM, HENNESSEY, HERSHEY, HESS, KILLION,
KOTIK, KULA, MAHONEY, MAJOR, MANTZ, MARSICO, McILHATTAN,
MELIO, MILLARD, MILNE, MOYER, MURT, MUSTIO, MYERS, NAILOR,
PALLONE, PARKER, PAYNE, PERZEL, PHILLIPS, PYLE, QUINN,
RAMALEY, RAPP, READSHAW, REICHLEY, ROCK, ROHRER, ROSS,
RUBLEY, SAINATO, SANTONI, SAYLOR, SCAVELLO, SIPTROTH,
K. SMITH, SOLOBAY, SONNEY, SWANGER, THOMAS, TRUE, VULAKOVICH,
J. WHITE, WOJNAROSKI AND YOUNGBLOOD, JUNE 26, 2008
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
JUNE 26, 2008
A RESOLUTION
1 Recognizing the week of September 20 through 27, 2008, as
2 "Polycystic Kidney Disease Awareness Week" in Pennsylvania.
3 WHEREAS, Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) is the most common
4 of all life-threatening genetic diseases, affecting more people
5 than Down syndrome, cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy,
6 hemophilia, sickle cell anemia and Huntington's disease
7 combined; and
8 WHEREAS, There is no treatment for PKD and no cure; and
9 WHEREAS, Until one is found, PKD will threaten the lives of
10 every generation of every family living with the disease; and
11 WHEREAS, PKD equally affects men, women and children
12 regardless of age, race, geography or ethnic origin; and
1 WHEREAS, The often-devastating disease comes in two
2 hereditary forms:
3 (1) Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease
4 (ADPKD): ADPKD affects one in 500 worldwide. Parents with the
5 dominant form of PKD have a 50% chance of passing the disease
6 on to each of their children.
7 (2) Autosomal Recessive Polycystic Kidney Disease
8 (ARPKD): ARPKD is a relatively rare form of PKD that affects
9 one in 20,000 babies and often leads to death in the first
10 month of life. Parents who carry the ARPKD gene have a 25%
11 chance of passing the disease on to each of their children;
12 and
13 WHEREAS, Those who inherit PKD develop fluid-filled cysts on
14 both kidneys; and
15 WHEREAS, Over time, these cysts grow and multiply, causing
16 the kidney to increase sometimes dramatically in size; and
17 WHEREAS, Although a normal kidney is roughly the size of a
18 human fist, PKD kidneys can grow to be the size of a football or
19 larger and weigh as much as 38 pounds each; and
20 WHEREAS, The common symptoms of PKD are high blood pressure,
21 constant or intermittent pain in the back and side of the
22 stomach, blood in the urine, kidney stones, frequent urinary
23 tract infections, a family history of kidney problems, heart
24 problems and stroke; and
25 WHEREAS, More than 60% of people with PKD will develop kidney
26 failure and be forced to depend on dialysis or a transplant to
27 live; and
28 WHEREAS, Since its establishment in 1982, the not-for-profit
29 PKD Foundation has worked tirelessly to find a treatment and a
30 cure for PKD; and
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1 WHEREAS, With the help of PKD Foundation Chapters in cities
2 across the country and beyond, the PKD Foundation also provides
3 a forum for patients who want to join in the fight to raise
4 awareness and funds for PKD research; and
5 WHEREAS, In 2007, the National Institutes of Health planned
6 to devote only $32 million for PKD research, despite the fact
7 that PKD costs the Federal Government more than $2 billion per
8 year through Medicare and Medicaid costs for dialysis,
9 transplantation and related treatments; therefore be it
10 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize the
11 week of September 20 through 27, 2008, as "Polycystic Kidney
12 Disease Awareness Week" in Pennsylvania.
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