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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives wish to honor the life of Zeke Upshaw and to
4raise awareness of the risk of cardiac arrest in young
5athletes; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Zeke Upshaw was born in Chicago on May 27, 1991;
7he began playing organized basketball at the age of six; he
8attended the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools on
9scholarship, where he became the school's first basketball
10player to receive a professional basketball contract; he began
11playing college basketball at Illinois State University in
122009, where he obtained a degree in Apparel, Merchandising,
13and Design; he continued his education and passion for
14basketball by transferring to Hofstra University for his final
15season with NCAA eligibility, and he earned his Master of
16Science in Education in Higher Education Leadership and Policy
17Studies; and
 
18    WHEREAS, Zeke Upshaw began his professional basketball
19career overseas with the Helios Suns in Slovenia in 2014; he
20then played with the team Basket Esch in Luxembourg from 2015
21to 2016; that same year, he returned to the United States and
22joined the Grand Rapids Drive, an American professional
23basketball team of the NBA G League based in Michigan and an

 

 

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1affiliate of the Detroit Pistons in the National Basketball
2Association (NBA); and
 
3    WHEREAS, In the midst of obtaining his education, grueling
4practices, and exhaustive games, Zeke Upshaw always found time
5to give back to his community through volunteer work and youth
6mentorship; and
 
7    WHEREAS, On March 24, 2018, after scoring 11 points in the
8regular-season finale and propelling the Grand Rapid Drive
9into a playoff spot with a 101–99 home win, Zeke Upshaw
10suddenly collapsed on the court; two days later, he passed
11away from sudden cardiac death on March 26 at the age of 26;
12and
 
13    WHEREAS, Sudden cardiac arrest is the leading cause of
14death in young athletes; estimates vary, but some reports
15suggest that about one in 50,000 to one in 80,000 young
16athletes die of sudden cardiac death each year; and
 
17    WHEREAS, Risk factors for sudden cardiac arrest for young
18athletes include unexplained fainting that occurs during
19activity or exercise, shortness of breath or chest pain, and a
20family history of sudden cardiac death; and
 
21    WHEREAS, Medication, surgery, and the ceasing of athletic

 

 

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1activity can all lower the risk of sudden cardiac arrest in
2young athletes; and
 
3    WHEREAS, Athletic centers having readily available access
4to an automated external defibrillator (AED), a portable
5device that delivers shocks to reset the heart during cardiac
6arrest, can also lower the risk of death from sudden cardiac
7arrest; therefore, be it
 
8    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
9HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
10we honor the memory of Zeke Upshaw and wish to raise awareness
11of the risk of cardiac arrest in young athletes; and be it
12further
 
13    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
14presented to the family of Zeke Upshaw as a symbol of our
15esteem, our respect, and our deepest sympathy.