LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION honoring Dr. Jack Sharp upon the occasion of his
designation as recipient of the Commitment to a Cure Award by the Cystic
Fibrosis Foundation

WHEREAS, It is incumbent upon the people of the State of New York to
recognize and acknowledge those within our midst who have made signif-
icant contributions to the quality of life therein; and
WHEREAS, This Legislative Body joins the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in
eager anticipation of the day when CF no longer stands for Cystic Fibro-
sis, but for "Cure Found"; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to honor Dr.
Jack Sharp upon the occasion of his designation as recipient of the
Commitment to a Cure Award by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation on Satur-
day, January 28, 2012, in Buffalo, New York; and
WHEREAS, Cystic Fibrosis is a life-threatening genetic disease that
causes mucus to build up and clog some of the organs in the body,
particularly the lungs and pancreas; when mucus clogs the lungs, it can
make breathing very difficult; mucus also causes bacteria (or germs) to
get stuck in the airways which causes inflammation (or swelling) and
infections that lead to lung damage; and
WHEREAS, After graduating with a degree in Zoology at the University
of Maryland, Dr. Jack Sharp started his medical training at McGill
University in Montreal; during his years in Canada, he gained a broader
perspective of how medicine is practiced in other countries; and
WHEREAS, During his training as a third-year student on the adolescent
floor at The Montreal Children's Hospital, Dr. Jack Sharp had some chil-
dren in his care who had Cystic Fibrosis; he was so impressed by the
spirit and strong will of the youth fighting this particular condition
that this experience shaped and later directed his career path; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Jack Sharp entered his pediatric specialty training at
the Children's Hospital and Medical Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, and at
the Penn State Children's Hospital in Hershey, Pennsylvania, which both
gave him more opportunities to care for children and adults with Cystic
Fibrosis; and
WHEREAS, During Dr. Jack Sharp's fellowship in pulmonology at the
University of Wisconsin in Madison, exciting changes were taking place
in the research of Cystic Fibrosis; only four years earlier, the CF gene
had been discovered, and the University of Wisconsin had a research
project in place to identify babies with CF by newborn screening; and
WHEREAS, This was the first study to examine the benefits of newborn
screening on a large, statewide scale, and Dr. Jack Sharp was privileged
to be a part of it; he and his team were able to incorporate the iden-
tification of the gene into the screening program, a program which is in
place in over two-thirds of the state screening programs in the United
States today; since that date when Wisconsin was only one of two states
performing newborn screening at that time, screening is currently being
done in all 50 states; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Jack Sharp came to Children's Hospital 12 years ago in
order to achieve improvements in early diagnosis and detection of lung
problems by starting an Infant Pulmonary Function Laboratory which would
evaluate and help treat babies with Cystic Fibrosis; and
WHEREAS, Many new and exciting things continue to happen in the
research of Cystic Fibrosis; new medicine and therapies come to market
in an effort to prolong and improve the quality of life for patients
with Cystic Fibrosis; this has come to fruition because of the patient's
willingness to participate in research studies along with the generosity

of the Western New York Cystic Fibrosis community; these particular
efforts advance our knowledge into early diagnosis and successful treat-
ment; and
WHEREAS, A true asset to society, Dr. Jack Sharp's distinguished
record merits the recognition and respectful tribute of this Legislative
Body; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Dr. Jack Sharp upon the occasion of his designation as recipient
of the Commitment to a Cure Award by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation; and
be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Dr. Jack Sharp.