HR0743 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0743 LRB097 19992 KXB 65290 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital was founded by entertainer Danny Thomas on February 4, 1962 when it opened its doors to children battling cancer and other life-threatening diseases including pediatric AIDS and pediatric sickle cell anemia; and

WHEREAS, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital cares for all children regardless of race, religion, or creed and all patients are treated regardless of a family's ability to pay; and

WHEREAS, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital freely shares its research findings and protocols with doctors and scientists all over the world; and

WHEREAS, St. Jude Children's Hospital grew from the original star-shaped hospital built in Memphis in 1962 to a marvelous 2.5 million square foot campus today that includes the ALSAC Tower, Danny Thomas-ALSAC Pavilion, the Danny Thomas Research Tower, the ALSAC National Headquarters, and the Chili's Care Center for patient care and research; and

WHEREAS, St. Jude Children's Hospital now operates worldwide, including a hospital in Peoria, that has treated hundreds of families; and

WHEREAS, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital has treated children from all 50 states and many counties around the world; and

WHEREAS, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital treats an average of 260 patients daily and nearly 7,800 patients annually at no cost to the families; and

WHEREAS, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital has a daily operating cost of $1.7 million that is funded primarily by private contributions; and

WHEREAS, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital combines cutting edge technology with compassionate care for patients to find cures and provide world-class lifesaving care for children in crisis; and

WHEREAS, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital has led the way in changing the way the world treats pediatric cancer and has been instrumental in increasing overall childhood cancer survival rates from 20% in 1962 to 80% today including increasing the survival rate for acute lymphoblastic leukemia from 4% to 94%; and

WHEREAS, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is the first and only pediatric cancer center to be designated as a Comprehensive Cancer Center by the National Cancer Institute and is the national coordinating center for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Consortium, Children's Cancer Survival Study, Pediatric Drug Discovery Consortium, and a national study of Sickle cell disease treatment; and

WHEREAS, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital counts among its staff a Nobel Prize winner for Physiology or Medicine, 3 National Academy of Sciences members, and 5 members of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences; and

WHEREAS, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is fulfilling the hopes and dreams of founder Danny Thomas by serving as a shining light of hope for the world's sickest children where all children are treated and families never receive a bill; and

WHEREAS, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is a model of compassion and care for sick children and families across the United States and world; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate St. Jude Children's Research Hospital on its 50th anniversary and hope for further groundbreaking treatment and care in the future; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, the family of Danny Thomas including his children, Terre, Tony, and Marlo Thomas, and the Board of Directors of the Midwest Affiliate of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Peoria as a symbol of our respect and admiration.