Tennessee SR 37: Memorials, Recognition - Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month, May 2017 -

Bill Text

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<BillNo> <Sponsor> 
 
SENATE RESOLUTION 37  
By  Dickerson 
 
 
A RESOLUTION to commemorate May 2017 as Cystic Fibrosis 
Awareness Month. 
 
WHEREAS, cystic fibrosis, commonly referred to as “CF,” is a genetic disease affecting 
approximately 30,000 children and adults in the United States and nearly 70,000 children and 
adults worldwide, more than 650 of whom live in Tennessee; and 
WHEREAS, a defective gene causes the body to produce an abnormally thick, sticky 
mucus that clogs the lungs, and these secretions produce life-threatening lung infections and 
obstruct the pancreas, preventing digestive enzymes from reaching the intestines to help break 
down and absorb food; and 
WHEREAS, more than 10 million Americans are symptomless carriers of the defective 
CF gene, and CF occurs in approximately one of every 3,500 live births in the United States; 
and 
WHEREAS, the median age of survival for a person with CF is 39.3 years; and 
WHEREAS, with advances in the treatment of CF, the number of adults with CF has 
steadily grown, and approximately 1,000 new cases of CF are diagnosed each year; and 
WHEREAS, nearly fifty percent of the CF population is eighteen years of age and older, 
and people with CF have a variety of symptoms attributed to the more than 1,800 mutations of 
the CF gene; and 
WHEREAS, infant blood screening to detect genetic defects is the most reliable and 
least costly method to identify persons likely to have CF; and 
WHEREAS, early diagnosis of CF permits early treatment and enhances quality of life 
and longevity, as the treatment of CF depends on the stage of the disease and the organs 
involved; and 

 
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WHEREAS, clearing mucus from the lungs is an important part of the daily CF treatment 
regimen, and other types of treatments include inhaled antibiotics and pancreatic enzymes, 
among others; and 
WHEREAS, there are seven world-class treatment centers in Tennessee that specialize 
in the diagnosis of CF and the care of persons with CF; and 
WHEREAS, a critical component of treating patients with CF includes access to 
innovative treatments, which can play a crucial role in the lives of patients with CF; and 
WHEREAS, improving the length and quality of life for people with CF starts with 
awareness; now, therefore,  
 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED TENTH GENERAL 
ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE, that we join with the many special organizations 
and healthcare professionals and facilities across Tennessee as they commemorate the month 
of May 2017 as Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month. 
 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that an appropriate copy of this resolution be prepared 
for presentation with this final clause omitted from such copy.