PRINTER'S NO. 3359
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No.
840
Session of
2018
INTRODUCED BY PHILLIPS-HILL, R. BROWN, BURNS, CALTAGIRONE,
CONKLIN, SCHLEGEL CULVER, DAVIS, DiGIROLAMO, DUNBAR, DUSH,
HENNESSEY, HILL-EVANS, KINSEY, LONGIETTI, MARSICO,
J. McNEILL, MILLARD, MURT, NEILSON, PASHINSKI, PICKETT,
M. QUINN, READSHAW, ROEBUCK, RYAN, SAMUELSON, SCHLOSSBERG,
SCHWEYER, SOLOMON, SONNEY, STAATS, WARD AND YOUNGBLOOD,
APRIL 18, 2018
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
APRIL 18, 2018
A RESOLUTION
Designating the month of May 2018 as "Cystic Fibrosis Awareness
Month" in Pennsylvania.
WHEREAS, Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disease affecting
approximately 30,000 children and adults in the United States
and approximately 70,000 children and adults worldwide, 1,488 of
whom live in this Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, A defective gene causes the body to produce an
abnormally thick, sticky mucus that clogs the lungs, and these
secretions produce life-threatening lung infections and obstruct
the pancreas, preventing digestive enzymes from reaching the
intestines to help break down and absorb food; and
WHEREAS, More than 10 million Americans are symptomless
carriers of the defective CF gene, and CF occurs in
approximately one out of every 3,500 live births in the United
States; and
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WHEREAS, Approximately 1,000 new cases of CF are diagnosed
each year; and
WHEREAS, The median age of survival for an individual with CF
is 41.1 years; and
WHEREAS, With advances in the treatment of CF, the number of
adults with CF has steadily grown; and
WHEREAS, Approximately 50% of the CF population is 18 years
of age or older, and individuals with CF have a variety of
symptoms attributed to the more than 1,800 mutations of the CF
gene; and
WHEREAS, Infant blood screening to detect genetic defects is
the most reliable and least costly method to identify
individuals likely to have CF; and
WHEREAS, Early diagnosis of CF permits early treatment and
enhances quality of life and longevity, and the treatment of CF
depends on the stage of the disease and the organs involved; and
WHEREAS, Clearing mucus from the lungs is an important part
of the daily CF treatment regimen, and other types of treatments
include inhaled antibiotics and pancreatic enzymes, among
others; and
WHEREAS, There are 12 world-class treatment centers in this
Commonwealth that specialize in the diagnosis of CF and the care
of individuals with CF; and
WHEREAS, Improving the length and quality of life for people
with CF starts with awareness; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives designate the
month of May 2018 as "Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month" in
Pennsylvania.
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