III 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 201 

Designating the first Wednesday in September 2013 as ‘‘National Polycystic 

Kidney Disease Awareness Day’’ and raising awareness and understanding of polycystic kidney disease. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 25, 2013 

Mr. BLUNT (for himself, Mr. SCHUMER, Mr. CARDIN, Ms. MIKULSKI, and Mr. 

RUBIO) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and 

agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Designating the first Wednesday in September 2013 as ‘‘National Polycystic Kidney Disease Awareness Day’’ and 

raising awareness and understanding of polycystic kidney 

disease. 

Whereas National Polycystic Kidney Disease Awareness Day 

will raise public awareness and understanding of polycystic kidney disease, one of the most prevalent, lifethreatening genetic kidney diseases; 

Whereas National Polycystic Kidney Disease Awareness Day 

will also foster understanding of the impact polycystic 

kidney disease has on patients and their families; 

Whereas polycystic kidney disease is a progressive, genetic 

disorder of the kidneys that causes damage to the kidVerDate Mar 15 2010 23:10 Jul 25, 2013 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR201.ATS SR201

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neys and the cardiovascular, endocrine, hepatic, and gastrointestinal organ systems; 

Whereas polycystic kidney disease has a devastating impact 

on the health and finances of people of all ages, and 

equally affects people of all races, genders, nationalities, 

geographic locations, and income levels; 

Whereas, of the people diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease, approximately 10 percent have no family history of 

the disease, with the disease developing as a spontaneous 

(or new) mutation; 

Whereas there is no treatment or cure for polycystic kidney 

disease, which is one of the 4 leading causes of kidney 

failure in the United States; 

Whereas the vast majority of patients with polycystic kidney 

disease reach kidney failure at an average age of 53, 

causing a severe strain on dialysis and kidney transplantation resources and on the delivery of health care in the 

United States as the largest segment of the population of 

the United States, the ‘‘baby boomers’’, continues to age; 

Whereas polycystic kidney disease instills in patients fear of 

an unknown future with a life-threatening genetic disease 

and apprehension over possible discrimination, including 

the risk of losing their health and life insurance, their 

jobs, and their chances for promotion; 

Whereas countless friends, loved ones, spouses, and caregivers must shoulder the physical, emotional, and financial burdens that polycystic kidney disease causes; 

Whereas the severity of the symptoms of polycystic kidney 

disease and the limited public awareness of the disease 

cause many patients to live in denial and forego regular 

visits to their physicians or avoid following good health 


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management, which would help avoid more severe complications when kidney failure occurs; 

Whereas people who have chronic, life-threatening diseases 

like polycystic kidney disease have a predisposition to depression and its resultant consequences of 7 times the 

national average because of their anxiety over pain, suffering, and premature death; and 

Whereas the PKD Foundation and its more than 60 volunteer chapters around the United States are dedicated to 

conducting research to find treatments and a cure for 

polycystic kidney disease, fostering public awareness and 

understanding of the disease, educating patients and 

their families about the disease to improve their treatment and care, and providing support and encouraging 

people to become organ donors, including by sponsoring 

the annual ‘‘Walk for PKD’’ to raise funds for polycystic 

kidney disease research, education, advocacy, and awareness: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) designates the first Wednesday in Sep3 tember 2013 as ‘‘National Polycystic Kidney Disease 

4 Awareness Day’’; 

5 (2) supports the goals and ideals of National 

6 Polycystic Kidney Disease Awareness Day to raise 

7 public awareness and understanding of polycystic 

8 kidney disease; 

9 (3) recognizes the need for additional research 

10 to find a cure for polycystic kidney disease; and 


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1 (4) encourages all people in the United States 

2 and interested groups to support National Polycystic 

3 Kidney Awareness Day through appropriate cere4 monies and activities to promote public awareness of 

5 polycystic kidney disease and to foster under6 standing of the impact of the disease on patients 

7 and their families. 

Æ 


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