Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month

WHEREAS, Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disease affecting approximately 30,000 children and adults in the United States and nearly 70,000 children and adults worldwide, 444 of whom live in the state of Alabama; 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 Cystic fibrosis gene, and Cystic fibrosis 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 Cystic fibrosis is 41 years; and

WHEREAS, with advances in the treatment of Cystic fibrosis, the number of adults with Cystic fibrosis has steadily grown, and approximately 1,000 new cases of CF are diagnosed each year; and

WHEREAS, nearly 50 percent of the Cystic fibrosis population is 18 years of age and older, and people with Cystic fibrosis have a variety of symptoms attributed to the more than 1,800 mutations of the Cystic fibrosis gene; and

WHEREAS, infant blood screening to detect genetic defects is the most reliable and least costly method to identify persons likely to have Cystic fibrosis; and

WHEREAS, early diagnosis of Cystic fibrosis permits early treatment and enhances quality of life and longevity; and

WHEREAS, there are three world-class treatment centers in Alabama which specialize in the diagnosis of Cystic fibrosis; and

WHEREAS, a critical component of treating patients with Cystic fibrosis includes access to innovative treatments, which can play a crucial role in the lives of patients with Cystic fibrosis; and

WHEREAS, improving the length and quality of life for people with Cystic fibrosis starts with awareness:

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Robert Bentley, Governor of the State of Alabama, do hereby proclaim May 2015, as

Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month

in the state of Alabama.