SLS 20RS-1994 ORIGINAL
2020 Regular Session
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 64
BY SENATOR PRICE
SPECIAL DAY/WEEK/MONTH. Designates May 2020 as Cystic Fibrosis Awareness
Month in Louisiana.
1 A RESOLUTION
2 To designate May 2020 as Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month in Louisiana.
3 WHEREAS, cystic fibrosis, known as CF, affects cells that produce mucus,
4 perspiration, and digestive juices in the human body; and
5 WHEREAS, these normally thin, slippery fluids are rendered thick and sticky, and
6 rather than acting as lubricants, the cells affected by CF plug tubes, ducts, and passageways,
7 especially in the lungs and pancreas; and
8 WHEREAS, CF affects roughly seventy thousand people around the world, and thirty
9 thousand of those adults and children live in the United States; and
10 WHEREAS, advances in treatment and improvements leading to earlier detection of
11 this disease have led to people living longer with CF; and
12 WHEREAS, throughout the world, more than half of those living with CF are
13 children, and one thousand new cases of this disabling condition are diagnosed each year;
14 and
15 WHEREAS, CF is a genetic defect, and in order for a child to have CF, both parents
16 must carry the defective gene, which is recessive, and pass the flawed gene on to the child;
17 and
18 WHEREAS, CF causes progressive damage to the respiratory system, and chronic
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SLS 20RS-1994 ORIGINAL
1 digestive system problems are among the most common manifestations of CF; and
2 WHEREAS, respiratory damage is caused by mucus build-up in the lungs and
3 bacterial infections which eventually lead to permanent lung damage, including the
4 formation of scar tissue or fibrosis which impedes the ability of the lungs to inflate and
5 deflate; and
6 WHEREAS, CF affects a specific protein called cystic fibrosis transmembrane
7 conductance regulator that controls the normal movement of chloride, as well as water, in
8 and out of cells throughout the body; and
9 WHEREAS, CF causes the ducts of the pancreas to become blocked, causing fibrosis
10 of the pancreas which causes reduced absorption of fat and vitamins and can result in cystic
11 fibrosis-related diabetes; and
12 WHEREAS, almost half of all those affected with CF today are over eighteen years
13 of age; and
14 WHEREAS, infant blood screening to detect genetic defects is the most reliable and
15 least costly method to identify persons likely to have CF; and
16 WHEREAS, early diagnosis of CF permits early treatment, enhances the life
17 expectancy, and improves the quality of life of those living with CF; and
18 WHEREAS, the average life expectancy of those with CF has been steadily
19 increasing since the 1950s and is currently near forty years; and
20 WHEREAS, a critical component of treating patients with CF includes access to
21 innovative treatments which can affect both longevity and quality of life; and
22 WHEREAS, improving both length and quality of life for people with CF begins
23 with earlier diagnosis and a greater awareness of the disease and its consequences.
24 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
25 does hereby designate May 2020 as Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month in Louisiana.
26 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
27 executive director of the Louisiana Chapter-Baton Rouge of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
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SLS 20RS-1994 ORIGINAL
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Angela L. De Jean.
DIGEST
SR 64 Original 2020 Regular Session Price
Designates May 2020 as Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month in Louisiana.
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