HLS 20RS-2654 ORIGINAL
2020 Regular Session
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 58
BY REPRESENTATIVE EDMONSTON
SPECIAL DAY/WEEK/MONTH: Designates May 2020 as Cystic Fibrosis Awareness
Month in Louisiana
1 A RESOLUTION
2To designate the month of May 2020 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
12 WHEREAS, throughout the world, more than half of those living with CF are
13children, and one thousand new cases of this disabling condition are diagnosed each year;
14and
15 WHEREAS, CF is a genetic defect, and in order for a child to have CF, both parents
16must carry the defective gene, which is recessive, and pass the flawed gene on to the child;
17and
18 WHEREAS, CF causes progressive damage to the respiratory system, and chronic
19digestive system problems are among the most common manifestations of CF; and
20 WHEREAS, respiratory damage is caused by mucus build-up in the lungs and
21bacterial infections which eventually lead to permanent lung damage, including the
Page 1 of 2 HLS 20RS-2654 ORIGINAL
HR NO. 58
1formation of scar tissue or fibrosis which impedes the ability of the lungs to inflate and
2deflate; and
3 WHEREAS, CF affects a specific protein called cystic fibrosis transmembrane
4conductance regulator that controls the normal movement of chloride and water in and out
5of cells throughout the body; and
6 WHEREAS, CF causes the ducts of the pancreas to become blocked, causing fibrosis
7of the pancreas, which causes reduced absorption of fat and vitamins and can result in cystic-
8fibrosis-related diabetes; and
9 WHEREAS, almost half of all those affected with CF today are over eighteen years
10of age; and
11 WHEREAS, infant blood screening to detect genetic defects is the most reliable and
12least costly method to identify persons likely to have CF; and
13 WHEREAS, the life expectancy of those with CF has been steadily increasing since
14the 1950s and is currently near forty years; and
15 WHEREAS, a critical component of treating patients with CF is access to innovative
16treatments which can affect both longevity and quality of life; and
17 WHEREAS, improving both length and quality of life for people with CF begins
18with earlier diagnosis and a greater awareness of the disease and its consequences.
19 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the
20Legislature of Louisiana does hereby designate the month of May 2020 as Cystic Fibrosis
21Awareness Month in Louisiana.
22 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
23executive director of the Louisiana Chapter-Baton Rouge of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
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 58 Original 2020 Regular Session Edmonston
Designates the month of May 2020 as Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month in La.
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