ENROLLED HOUSE
RESOLUTION NO. 1055	By:	Terrill, Dorman, Armes, Banz, Bennett, Billy, Blackwell, Brown, Brumbaugh, Cannaday, Casey, Christian, Cockroft, Condit, Coody, Cooksey, Cox, Dank, Denney, Derby, DeWitt, Enns, Faught, Fourkiller, Glenn, Grau, Hall, Hamilton, Hardin, Hickman, Hilliard, Holland, Hoskin, Inman, Jackson, Johnson, Jordan, Joyner, Kern, Key, Kirby, Kouplen, Liebmann, Lockhart, Martin (Scott), Martin (Steve), McCullough, McDaniel (Curtis), McDaniel (Jeannie), McDaniel (Randy), McNiel, McPeak, Moore, Morgan, Morrissette, Mulready, Murphey, Nelson, Newell, Nollan, Ortega, Osborn, Ownbey, Peters, Peterson, Pittman, Proctor, Pruett, Quinn, Renegar, Reynolds, Richardson, Ritze, Roan, Roberts (Dustin), Roberts (Sean), Rousselot, Russ, Sanders, Schwartz, Scott, Sears, Shannon, Shelton, Sherrer, Shoemake, Shumate, Steele, Stiles, Thomsen, Trebilcock, Vaughan, Virgin, Walker, Watson, Wesselhoft, Williams and Wright 

A Resolution relating to public health and safety; recognizing May 2012 as Oklahoma Lupus Awareness Month; and directing distribution.

WHEREAS, each year the Lupus Foundation of America designates May as National Lupus Awareness Month to show support for the estimated 1.5 million Americans, including over 25,000 Oklahomans, who have lupus; and

WHEREAS, more women die each year from lupus than from breast cancer; and

WHEREAS, lupus is an acute and chronic autoimmune disease in which the immune system is unbalanced, causing inflammation and tissue damage to virtually every organ system in the body; and

WHEREAS, lupus can affect any part of the body, including the skin, lungs, heart, kidneys and brain; no organ is spared.  The disease can cause seizures, strokes, heart attacks, miscarriages and organ failures; and

WHEREAS, while lupus can strike men and women of all ages, ninety percent of individuals diagnosed with the disease are women mostly of childbearing age.  No one is safe from lupus; African Americans, Hispanic or Latin Americans, Asian Americans and Native Americans are two to three times more likely than Caucasian Americans to develop lupus, a disparity that remains unexplained; and

WHEREAS, lupus can be particularly difficult to diagnose because its symptoms are similar to those of many other illnesses, and major gaps exist in understanding the causes and consequences of lupus; and

WHEREAS, the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation in Oklahoma City, which is one of the worldwide leaders in lupus research, has recently found genes that could signify that lupus may be passed on from one generation to another.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 2ND SESSION OF THE 53RD OKLAHOMA LEGISLATURE:

THAT the month of May 2012 is hereby recognized by the Oklahoma House of Representatives as Oklahoma Lupus Awareness Month.

THAT a copy of this resolution be distributed to the Lupus Foundation of America, Oklahoma Chapter.

Adopted by the House of Representatives the 3rd day of May, 2012.

	
Presiding Officer of the House of
	Representatives