Bill Text: PA SR301 | 2011-2012 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Recognizing the month of May 2012 as "Lupus Awareness Month" and May 10, 2012, as "World Lupus Day" in Pennsylvania.

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Passed) 2012-05-01 - Introduced and adopted [SR301 Detail]

Download: Pennsylvania-2011-SR301-Introduced.html

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PRINTER'S NO. 2145
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE RESOLUTION
No. 301 Session of2012
INTRODUCED BY SOLOBAY, KASUNIC, BROWNE, COSTA, ERICKSON, FONTANA, RAFFERTY, SCHWANK, STACK, KITCHEN, ALLOWAY, DINNIMAN, M. WHITE, BAKER, VOGEL, PIPPY, D. WHITE, GREENLEAF, FERLO, TARTAGLIONE, PILEGGI, BREWSTER, BLAKE AND BOSCOLA, MAY 1, 2012
INTRODUCED AND ADOPTED, MAY 1, 2012
A RESOLUTION
Recognizing the month of May 2012 as "Lupus Awareness Month" and
May 10, 2012, as "World Lupus Day" in Pennsylvania.
WHEREAS, Every day an estimated 65,000 Pennsylvanians, 1.5
million Americans and five million people worldwide struggle
with the debilitating consequences of lupus, a potentially fatal
autoimmune disease that can damage any part of a lupus patient's
body; and
WHEREAS, In an autoimmune disease like lupus, the immune
system effectively loses its way, and, instead of warding off
foreign invaders like viruses and bacteria, the immune system
attacks healthy cells, causing inflammation and pain and leading
to permanent damage; and
WHEREAS, Lupus has no cure and no known cause, and, despite
the current treatment and available medications, many lupus
patients have symptoms that cannot be managed well enough for
patients to lead normal lives, complete their education and
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maintain employment; and
WHEREAS, Nine out of ten people with lupus are women, and 80%
of new cases are diagnosed among women between 15 and 44 years
of age, with the majority of new cases seen in women in their
late teens and early 20s; and
WHEREAS, Although the disease is most frequently seen in
those patients, individuals of any age or gender can develop
lupus; and
WHEREAS, Lupus was identified as a disease in 1872, but it is
an underrecognized public health problem that attracts rare
attention and funding for research for a cure; and
WHEREAS, Lupus is often referred to as "the disease that
fools," due to the patient's unawareness of its presence for
extended periods of time; and
WHEREAS, The Lupus Foundation of Pennsylvania, a nonprofit
volunteer health organization with a history of service since
1975, provides supportive services to the victims of lupus,
funds medical research into the disease's causes and possible
treatments and educates the public concerning the realities of
lupus; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate recognize the month of May 2012 as
"Lupus Awareness Month" and May 10, 2012, as "World Lupus Day"
in Pennsylvania so that more attention and awareness may be
given to the disease.
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