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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3 Representatives are pleased to honor Eleanor (Ellie) O'Connor
4 Clarke of Lake Forest for her work as a vital link between
5 Horizon Hospice and Palliative Care and Children's Memorial
6 Hospital and other organizations, including Catholic
7 Theological Union, Catholic Charities of Lake County,
8 Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart in Lake Forest; and
 
9     WHEREAS, Ellie joined the Horizon Hospice Board of
10 Directors in 1982 at the invitation of Horizon's founder, Ada
11 Addington, following the 2-year struggle and loss of her young
12 daughter, Eleanor, at the age of 9 to brain cancer; Ellie was
13 interested in supporting other families who were coping with
14 loss, both through the dying process and in the aftermath; and
 
15     WHEREAS, Ellie has been a steadfast advocate for improved
16 care for children with life-limiting illnesses and their
17 families since the mid-1990s, when she was president of the
18 Woman's Board at Children's Memorial; she envisioned Horizon
19 Hospice and Children's Memorial Hospital working together to
20 deliver high-quality hospice and palliative care to dying
21 children and their families; and
 
22     WHEREAS, Ellie was instrumental in the creation of All

 

 

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1 About Kids, a Horizon Hospice program that works in
2 collaboration with Children's Memorial Hospital to provide
3 pediatric palliative care to all children with life-limiting
4 illnesses and their families in metropolitan Chicago,
5 regardless of the ability to pay; and
 
6     WHEREAS, Ellie and her husband, Charley, were extremely
7 grateful for the care that their daughter Eleanor received at
8 the hospital and were determined to show their gratitude by
9 giving back; because Ellie knew the value of having someone to
10 talk to while coping with the illness of a child, she became a
11 volunteer ombudsman for parents of children diagnosed with
12 brain tumors; and
 
13     WHEREAS, Ellie assisted in initiating "Heartlight", a
14 grief support group for bereaved parents and their surviving
15 children; the group has become a model for family grief support
16 groups everywhere; and
 
17     WHEREAS, Ellie and her family established the Eleanor
18 Clarke Research Scholar in Developmental Neurobiology in
19 memory of their daughter; and
 
20     WHEREAS, Because of the generous contributions of time and
21 funding through the years, Ellie served Horizon well as a
22 donor, a board member, and a member of the benefit,

 

 

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1 development, and finance committees; and
 
2     WHEREAS, Ellie and her family are establishing the Eleanor
3 Clarke Learning Library at the new Ann & Robert Lurie
4 Children's Hospital of Chicago; therefore, be it
 
5     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
6 NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
7 congratulate Eleanor Clarke for her many accolades and thank
8 her for her time and generosity for hospice care and outreach
9 to others in need; and be it further
 
10     RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
11 presented to Eleanor Clarke, Horizon Hospice and Palliative
12 Care, Children's Memorial Hospital, Chicago Theological Union,
13 Catholic Charities of Lake County, and Woodlands Academy of the
14 Sacred Heart in Lake Forest as a symbol of our esteem and
15 respect for this fine woman of distinction.