PRINTER'S NO. 2490
No. 372 Session of 2003
INTRODUCED BY LEWIS, ARGALL, BAKER, BALDWIN, BEBKO-JONES,
BENNINGHOFF, BROWNE, CAPPELLI, CAUSER, CIVERA, CLYMER,
COLEMAN, CORRIGAN, COY, CREIGHTON, CRUZ, DALEY, DALLY,
DiGIROLAMO, DONATUCCI, J. EVANS, FABRIZIO, FAIRCHILD,
FICHTER, FLEAGLE, FORCIER, FRANKEL, GABIG, GEIST, GEORGE,
GERGELY, GILLESPIE, GINGRICH, GODSHALL, GOODMAN, GRUCELA,
HARHAI, HARPER, HARRIS, HASAY, HENNESSEY, HERMAN, HERSHEY,
HESS, HICKERNELL, JAMES, JOSEPHS, KELLER, LAUGHLIN, LEACH,
LEDERER, MAJOR, MANN, MARSICO, McGILL, McILHATTAN, MELIO,
S. MILLER, O'BRIEN, O'NEILL, PAYNE, PICKETT, PISTELLA,
READSHAW, REICHLEY, ROBERTS, ROHRER, ROSS, RUBLEY, SATHER,
SAYLOR, SCHRODER, SHANER, B. SMITH, SOLOBAY, STURLA,
E. Z. TAYLOR, TIGUE, TRUE, TURZAI, WALKO, WASHINGTON, WATSON,
WEBER, WOJNAROSKI AND YOUNGBLOOD, AUGUST 5, 2003
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
AUGUST 5, 2003
A RESOLUTION
1 Designating the year 2003 as "Year of the Polio Survivor" and
2 the month of September 2003 as "Polio Survivor Month" in
3 Pennsylvania.
4 WHEREAS, There are an estimated 1.6 million polio survivors
5 in the United States today, of whom at least half may be
6 experiencing new medical problems; and
7 WHEREAS, At least 70% of paralytic and 40% of nonparalytic
8 polio survivors are developing post-polio sequelae (PPS),
9 unexpected and often disabling symptoms, including overwhelming
10 fatigue, muscle weakness, muscle and joint pain, sleep
11 disorders, heightened sensitivity to anesthesia, cold and pain
12 and difficulty swallowing and breathing, that occur decades
1 after the poliovirus attack; and
2 WHEREAS, PPS can be treated and even prevented if polio
3 survivors are taught to conserve energy, to stop abusing
4 poliovirus-damaged neurons, muscles and joints and to use
5 assistive devices; and
6 WHEREAS, Through a letter and public awareness campaign, the
7 International Post-Polio Task Force plans to provide a one-page
8 summary about the cause and treatment of PPS to every doctor and
9 polio survivor in the United States and the world; and
10 WHEREAS, The year 2003 is the 51st anniversary of the most
11 devastating polio epidemic in the United States, which affected
12 nearly 60,000 people; and
13 WHEREAS, The task force endeavors to provide accurate
14 information about PPS and promote research into its cause and
15 cure; therefore be it
16 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives designate the
17 year 2003 as "Year of the Polio Survivor" and the month of
18 September 2003 as "Polio Survivor Month" in Pennsylvania.
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