SR0576 LRB096 15269 KXB 32091 r

1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, Jasper Rylan Sherman was born on September 1, 2005
3 and passed away on February 25, 2009 after waging a courageous
4 battle against Mitochondrial Disease; Jasper's memory lives on
5 in the minds and hearts of his loving family and friends who
6 remain committed to educating the public about Mitochondrial
7 Disease with the hope of one day finding a cure; and
 
8     WHEREAS, Mitochondria are the power plants in every cell of
9 a person's body and create more than 90% of the energy needed
10 by the body to sustain life and support growth; mitochondria
11 may not function correctly due to genetic defects, damage
12 caused by drugs, or damage caused by destructive molecules
13 called free radicals; and
 
14     WHEREAS, When mitochondria fail, cell injury and cell death
15 follow, and if the process is repeated throughout the body,
16 whole systems begin to fail; and
 
17     WHEREAS, Mitochondrial diseases can cause isolated
18 symptoms like seizures, low blood counts, blindness, deafness,
19 dementia, heart failure, and progressive muscle weakness, but
20 more often they cause failure of several organ systems in
21 sequence; and
 

 

 

SR0576 - 2 - LRB096 15269 KXB 32091 r

1     WHEREAS, Mitochondrial diseases can affect any person at
2 any age; it is estimated that more than one in 4,000 children
3 born in the United States each year will develop a
4 mitochondrial disease by 10 years of age; and
 
5     WHEREAS, Since mitochondrial disorders mimic other
6 diseases, it is believed that they are under-diagnosed; and
 
7     WHEREAS, Currently no cures or effective therapies exist,
8 but early diagnosis can help patients and their families use
9 proper medication and nutritional supplements to improve the
10 quality of life, and even prolong life; and
 
11     WHEREAS, It is appropriate that all citizens of the State
12 of Illinois be better informed about mitochondrial diseases and
13 their impact; therefore, be it
 
14     RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL
15 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we designate the third
16 full week of September in each year as Mitochondrial Disease
17 Awareness Week in the State of Illinois, and the citizens of
18 the State of Illinois are urged to observe the week with
19 appropriate activities and programs.