Pennsylvania Proclaims
April 10, 2011
Familial Dysautonomia Awareness Day

Lawmakers raise awareness for
FD and the Dysautonomia Foundation.

A resolution designating April 10, 2011, as "Familial Dysautonomia Awareness Day" in Pennsylvania was adopted unanimously by the Commonwealth's House of Representatives on April 4th.

The resolution was sponsored by Representatives Josh Shapiro (District 153) and Thomas Caltagirone  (District 127). The April 10th date was picked to coincide with the first annual Path to the Cure FD Bike/Walk Tour held in Abington, PA.

Representative Shapiro, D-Montgomery, attended the event, where he spoke to a crowd of nearly 350 participants and presented the organizers with a copy of the resolution.



Rep. Shapiro is a leading voice for health-care issues; he sponsored the resolution to help raise awareness for FD and to spread the word for the importance of FD carrier screening. In his remarks at the event, he emphasized the need to bring attention to FD and praised the attendees for their strong show of support.

Full text of the Pennsylvania resolution is available from the Pennsylvania House of Representatives web site. The Pennsylvania Resolution marks only the second time a state has recognized the importance of FD awareness. A similar  resolution was adopted by the New York State Senate and Assembly in February.


The Dysautonomia Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity and is the world's leading supporter of medical treatment, research, public awareness and social services for the benefit of people afflicted with FD. The Foundation has established the world's only two FD treatment centers and is the largest single source of funding for research and treatment for the benefit of people with FD. Watch a video about FD and the Dysautonomia Foundation's work.
 
Familial Dysautonomia (FD) is a rare genetic neurological condition that affects the sensory and autonomic nervous systems, causing severe gastrointestinal, cardiac, pulmonary, orthopedic, renal and vision problems. FD was once considered a fatal disease, but the Foundation's efforts have resulted in dramatic improvements in the quality of life and life expectancy for FD patients. Still, people with FD must overcome tremendous challenges, including frequent hospitalizations, major surgeries and daily medical and supportive therapies as they try to live normal lives. Watch a carrier screening video to learn how everyone can learn about their risk for having a child with FD.

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Representative Josh Shapiro from Pennsyvania's Montgomery County sponsored the resolution in an effort to raise awareness for FD and the need for carrier screening.