Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to remind my colleagues and all Canadians that May has been declared Cystic Fibrosis Month.
Cystic fibrosis is a deadly genetic disease affecting primarily the respiratory and digestive systems, with the most devastating damage taking place in the lungs. Approximately 1 in every 2,500 children born in Canada has the disease and yet there is no known cure.
The cystic fibrosis foundation has made substantial progress over the past 40 years. In 1960 the median age of survival for a child with the disease was just four years. Today the median age of survival has increased to over 30 years. I congratulate the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation for its achievements.
I ask members to please join me in extending our best wishes for a successful Cystic Fibrosis Month to patients, their caregivers and those who are searching for a cure.