SLS 19RS-1084 ORIGINAL
2019 Regular Session
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 95
BY SENATOR LONG AND REPRESENTATI VE CHANEY
COMMENDATIONS. Designates June 2019 as Nephrotic Awareness Month in Louisiana,
and commends NephCure for their continued efforts in finding a cure for diseases and
conditions of the kidneys.
1 A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
2 To designate June 2019 as "Nephrotic Awareness Month" in Louisiana, and to commend
3 NephCure for their continued efforts in finding treatments and a cure for diseases
4 and conditions of the kidney.
5 WHEREAS, one in ten Americans has some form of sustained loss of kidney
6 function; the disparate forms of this condition are listed together in the term "chronic kidney
7 disease" (CKD); and
8 WHEREAS, according to the National Institutes of Health more than six hundred
9 sixty thousand Americans have kidney failure; it is estimated that one in seven people have
10 CKD and many of those are unaware of their condition; and
11 WHEREAS, Nephrotic Syndrome (NS) is an umbrella term representing several rare
12 glomeruli (the blood filters within the kidney) kidney diseases and syndromes; and
13 WHEREAS, included in the umbrella term are focal segmental glomerulosclerosis
14 sclerosis (FSGS), minimal change disease, IgA nephropathy (IgAnephropathy-a disease
15 caused by the IgA antibody forming clumps in the glomeruli), membranous Nephropathy,
16 and others; and
17 WHEREAS, IgAN is characterized as an autoimmune kidney disease, meaning that
18 the disease is due to the body's own immune system attacking tissues in the kidney and IgA
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SLS 19RS-1084 ORIGINAL
1 nephropathy (also called "Berger's disease") is the most common of these NS diseases; and
2 WHEREAS, the kidneys are the organs that filter blood within the body and nearly
3 one hundred thousand people are diagnosed with NS; and
4 WHEREAS, half of those diagnosed with NS are children and five thousand new
5 cases are diagnosed each year; and
6 WHEREAS, it is estimated that half of all people nearing kidney failure are not
7 aware that they have the beginning stages of such failure; and
8 WHEREAS, NephCure, an organization founded in 1999, offers resources that make
9 a difference in the lives of patients and families dealing with chronic kidney failure by
10 connecting patients, collaborating with experts, catalyzing research, and becoming involved
11 in governmental advocacy to work toward treatments and cures to these widespread and
12 deadly diseases; and
13 WHEREAS, NephCure established the first clinical care network model in the field
14 of nephrology and organizes efforts to engage all current and newly diagnosed NS patients,
15 sharing the names of expert nephrologists and clinical trials available; and
16 WHEREAS, today NephCure is an international organization that includes
17 physicians, researchers, advocates, and industry professionals, all committed to supporting
18 research for better treatments and, ultimately, a cure for nephrotic syndrome.
19 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
20 designate June 2019 as "Nephrotic Awareness Month" in Louisiana and commend NephCure
21 for their continuing efforts in the battle against kidney-related conditions and diseases.
22 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to
23 Donna Phenald, Coordinator, Community Fundraising for NephCure.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Mary Dozier O'Brien.
DIGEST
SCR 95 Original 2019 Regular Session Long
Designates June 2019 as Nephrotic Awareness Month in Louisiana and commends
NephCure for their continuing efforts in the battle against kidney-related conditions and
diseases.
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