HR0413

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HOUSE RESOLUTION


 
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    WHEREAS, On behalf of the citizens of Illinois, the members 
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of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to join 
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the American Stroke Association, a division of the American 
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Heart Association, in celebrating May 2007 as American Stroke 
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Month in the State of Illinois; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Stroke Survivors Empowering Each Other (SSEEO), a 
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first-of-its-kind-in-the-nation group of stroke survivors from 
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all parts of Illinois is meeting in Springfield May 15-16, 
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2007; and

 
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    WHEREAS, The themes for American Stroke Month 2007 are 
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"Young People and Stroke" to educate the public and 
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policymakers about the devastating effects of stroke in young 
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people under age 30, and "Igniting the Power" to end stroke in 
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African Americans, who are at particularly high risk of the 
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disease, by empowering them to reduce their risk, recognize the 
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warning signs, and respond quickly; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the 
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United States, killing about 150,000 Americans each year; and
 
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    WHEREAS, Stroke is a leading cause of serious long-term 
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disability with more than 1.1 million American adults 
 


 






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experiencing functional limitations or difficulty with 
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activities of daily living resulting from a stroke; and
 
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    WHEREAS, Americans are more aware of the risk factors and 
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warning signs for stroke than in the past, but still less than 
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one in five adults can correctly classify all stroke symptoms; 
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and
 
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    WHEREAS, Warning signs of stroke include sudden numbness or 
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weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the 
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body; sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding; 
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sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes; sudden trouble 
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walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination; and sudden 
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severe headache with no known cause; and
 
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    WHEREAS, Stroke leads to the death of more than 7,500 
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citizens of Illinois each year and disables thousands more; and
 
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    WHEREAS, New and effective treatments have been developed 
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to treat and minimize the severity and damaging effects of 
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strokes, but much more research is needed; therefore, be it

 
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    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
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NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we 
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proclaim May 2007 to be American Stroke Month  in the State of 
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Illinois and urge all the citizens of our State to familiarize 
 


 






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themselves with the warning signs, symptoms, and risk factors 
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associated with stroke so that we might begin to reduce the 
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devastating effects of stroke on our population.