SR1274 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR1274 LRB103 43153 MST 76413 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Epilepsy Awareness Month is a nationwide effort to raise awareness about epilepsies, seizures, and side effects and to improve the lives of people affected by epilepsy through education, advocacy, research, and connection; and

WHEREAS, Epilepsy is a brain disorder characterized by recurrent and unprovoked seizures that can affect anyone, at any age, at any time; and

WHEREAS, Epilepsy is a spectrum disease comprised of many diagnoses and experiences and includes a wide range of seizure types, comorbidities, control, severity, and outcomes varying from person to person; and

WHEREAS, Epilepsy is the fourth most common neurological disorder; nearly 3.4 million people in the U.S., including 136,600 in Illinois, live with active epilepsy; and

WHEREAS, Approximately half of adults with active epilepsy have annual family incomes of less than $25,000, and adults with epilepsy are more likely to report being unable to afford needed prescription medications; children and adolescents with seizures are more likely to live in poverty and have food insecurity; racial and ethnic minorities represent more than 40% of people living with epilepsy and face various disparities in obtaining appropriate diagnosis, care, and epilepsy mortality; and

WHEREAS, An increasing number of people are diagnosed with rare epilepsies, which are largely complex, severe, chronic, and even life-threatening, and collectively rare epilepsies account for a growing percentage of the epilepsy population; and

WHEREAS, People with epilepsy need access to affordable, comprehensive, physician-directed, person-centered health care, and delays in accessing effective treatments increase the likelihood of breakthrough seizures and related complications, including injury, disability, or even Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP); each year, it is estimated that 1 in 1,000 people with epilepsy die from SUDEP, and this number increases drastically to 1 out of 150 for people whose epilepsy is not controlled by treatment; and

WHEREAS, Many treatments are approved to treat seizures; yet, 30 - 40% of people with epilepsy still live with uncontrolled seizures, and the epilepsy-related medical costs associated with uncontrolled epilepsy are two to ten times higher than those of controlled epilepsy; and

WHEREAS, Twenty-one percent of people with epilepsy have reported not being able to afford their prescription medication(s) in the last year; and

WHEREAS, Non-medical drivers of health, such as social, economic, and environmental conditions including housing, employment, food security, transportation, and education, account for 80-90% of a person's health outcomes; and

WHEREAS, Epilepsy and/or seizures impose an annual economic healthcare burden of $54 billion; and

WHEREAS, In the U.S., 456,000 children live with epilepsy; students with epilepsy aged 6 - 17 years old have missed 11 or more days of school the past year on average, and 336,000 children have at least one seizure annually; and

WHEREAS, Protections exist in the Americans with Disabilities Act and related civil rights laws, but people with epilepsy still encounter discrimination in many areas, including employment, education, and housing; and

WHEREAS, Twenty-five percent of the general public say they would be nervous around a person with epilepsy; increasing public knowledge about epilepsies and seizure first aid can change the way people think about epilepsies and seizures, decrease stigma, and improve outcomes; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we declare November 2024 as Epilepsy Awareness Month in the State of Illinois to encourage Illinois residents to take action together so no one faces epilepsy alone; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be presented to the Epilepsy Foundation of Greater Southern Illinois, the Epilepsy Foundation of Greater Chicago, the Danny Did Foundation, and CURE.