PRINTER'S NO. 745
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE RESOLUTION
No.
124
Session of
2019
INTRODUCED BY KILLION, FARNESE, BREWSTER, BLAKE, VOGEL, FONTANA,
BAKER, A. WILLIAMS, J. WARD, K. WARD, DINNIMAN, MARTIN,
BARTOLOTTA, ARGALL, TARTAGLIONE, BROWNE, AUMENT, COSTA,
MENSCH, HUGHES, FOLMER, SCHWANK AND HUTCHINSON, MAY 8, 2019
INTRODUCED AND ADOPTED, MAY 8, 2019
A RESOLUTION
Recognizing the month of May 2019 as "Lupus Awareness Month" and
May 10, 2019, as "World Lupus Day" in Pennsylvania to give
more attention and awareness to the disease.
WHEREAS, Every day, an estimated 65,000 Pennsylvanians, 1.5
million Americans and 5 million people worldwide struggle with
the debilitating consequences of lupus, a potentially fatal
autoimmune disease that can damage any part of a lupus patient's
body; and
WHEREAS, In an autoimmune disease such as lupus, the immune
system becomes hyperactive and attacks healthy cells, causing
inflammation and pain and leading to permanent damage; and
WHEREAS, Lupus has no cure and no known cause and, despite
the current treatment and available medications, many lupus
patients have symptoms that cannot be managed well enough for
patients to lead normal lives, complete their education and
maintain employment; and
WHEREAS, Nine out of ten people with lupus are women; and
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
WHEREAS, New cases of lupus are diagnosed among women between
15 and 44 years of age about 80% of the time, with the majority
of new cases seen in women in their late teens and early 20s;
and
WHEREAS, Although the disease is most frequently seen in
female patients, individuals of any age or gender can develop
lupus; and
WHEREAS, Lupus was identified as a disease in 1872 but is an
underrecognized public health problem that attracts rare
attention and funding for research for a cure; and
WHEREAS, Lupus is often referred to as the disease that fools
due to the patient's unawareness of its presence for extended
periods of time; and
WHEREAS, The Lupus Foundation of America Philadelphia Tri-
State Chapter, a nonprofit volunteer health organization with a
history of service since the early 1970s, provides supportive
services to the victims of lupus, funds medical research into
the disease's causes and possible treatments and educates the
public concerning the realities of lupus; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate recognize the month of May 2019 as
"Lupus Awareness Month" and May 10, 2019, as "World Lupus Day"
in Pennsylvania to give more attention and awareness to the
disease.
20190SR0124PN0745 - 2 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23