HLS 16RS-3959 ORIGINAL
2016 Regular Session
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 137
BY REPRESENTATIVE HOFFMANN
SPECIAL DAY/WEEK/MONTH: Designates the month of May, 2016, as Cystic Fibrosis
Awareness Month in Louisiana
1 A RESOLUTION
2To designate the month of May 2016 as Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month in Louisiana.
3 WHEREAS, cystic fibrosis, known as CF, affects cells that produce mucus,
4perspiration, and digestive juices in the human body; and
5 WHEREAS, these normally thin, slippery fluids are rendered thick and sticky, and
6rather than acting as lubricants, the cells affected by CF plug tubes, ducts, and passageways,
7especially in the lungs and pancreas; and
8 WHEREAS, CF affects roughly seventy thousand people around the world, and thirty
9thousand of those adults and children live in the United States; and
10 WHEREAS, advances in treatment and improvements leading to earlier detection of
11this disease have led to people living longer with CF and an increase in the number of people
12suffering from this debilitating condition; and
13 WHEREAS, throughout the world, more than half of those living with CF are
14children, and one thousand new cases of this disabling condition are diagnosed each year;
15and
16 WHEREAS, CF is a genetic defect, and in order for a child to have CF, both parents
17must carry the defective gene, which is recessive, and pass those flawed genes on to the
18child; and
19 WHEREAS, CF causes progressive damage to the respiratory system, and chronic
20digestive system problems are among the most common manifestations of CF; and
Page 1 of 3 HLS 16RS-3959 ORIGINAL
HR NO. 137
1 WHEREAS, respiratory damage is caused by mucus build-up in the lungs and
2bacterial infections which eventually lead to permanent lung damage, including the
3formation of scar tissue or fibrosis which impedes the ability of the lungs to inflate and
4deflate; and
5 WHEREAS, CF affects a specific protein called cystic fibrosis transmembrane
6conductance regulator that controls the normal movement of chloride, as well as water, in
7and out of cells throughout the body; and
8 WHEREAS, CF causes the ducts of the pancreas to become blocked, causing fibrosis
9of the pancreas which causes reduced absorption of fat and vitamins and can result in "cystic
10fibrosis-related diabetes"; and
11 WHEREAS, almost half of all those affected with CF today are over eighteen years
12of age; and
13 WHEREAS, infant blood screening to detect genetic defects is the most reliable and
14least costly method to identify persons likely to have CF; and
15 WHEREAS, early diagnosis of CF permits early treatment and enhances the life
16expectancy and improves the quality of life of those living with CF; and
17 WHEREAS, the average life expectancy of those with CF has been steadily
18increasing since the 1950s and is currently nearly forty years; and
19 WHEREAS, a critical component of treating patients with CF includes access to
20innovative treatments which can effect both longevity and quality of life; and
21 WHEREAS, improving both length and quality of life for people with CF begins
22with earlier diagnosis and a greater awareness of the disease and its consequences.
23 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the
24Legislature of Louisiana does hereby designate the month of May 2016 as Cystic Fibrosis
25Awareness Month in Louisiana.
26 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
27executive director of the Baton Rouge-Louisiana Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
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HR NO. 137
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HR 137 Original 2016 Regular Session Hoffmann
Designates the month of May 2016 as Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month in La.
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