HR0065 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0065 LRB103 30789 ECR 57280 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to honor the life of Zeke Upshaw and to raise awareness of the risk of cardiac arrest in young athletes; and

WHEREAS, Zeke Upshaw was born in Chicago on May 27, 1991; he began playing organized basketball at the age of six; he attended the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools on scholarship, where he became the school's first basketball player to receive a professional basketball contract; he began playing college basketball at Illinois State University in 2009, where he obtained a degree in Apparel, Merchandising, and Design; he continued his education and passion for basketball by transferring to Hofstra University for his final season with NCAA eligibility, and he earned his Master of Science in Education in Higher Education Leadership and Policy Studies; and

WHEREAS, Zeke Upshaw began his professional basketball career overseas with the Helios Suns in Slovenia in 2014; he then played with the team Basket Esch in Luxembourg from 2015 to 2016; that same year, he returned to the United States and joined the Grand Rapids Drive, an American professional basketball team of the NBA G League based in Michigan and an affiliate of the Detroit Pistons in the National Basketball Association (NBA); and

WHEREAS, In the midst of obtaining his education, grueling practices, and exhaustive games, Zeke Upshaw always found time to give back to his community through volunteer work and youth mentorship; and

WHEREAS, On March 24, 2018, after scoring 11 points in the regular-season finale and propelling the Grand Rapid Drive into a playoff spot with a 101–99 home win, Zeke Upshaw suddenly collapsed on the court; two days later, he passed away from sudden cardiac death on March 26 at the age of 26; and

WHEREAS, Sudden cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death in young athletes; estimates vary, but some reports suggest that about one in 50,000 to one in 80,000 young athletes die of sudden cardiac death each year; and

WHEREAS, Risk factors for sudden cardiac arrest for young athletes include unexplained fainting that occurs during activity or exercise, shortness of breath or chest pain, and a family history of sudden cardiac death; and

WHEREAS, Medication, surgery, and the ceasing of athletic activity can all lower the risk of sudden cardiac arrest in young athletes; and

WHEREAS, Athletic centers having readily available access to an automated external defibrillator (AED), a portable device that delivers shocks to reset the heart during cardiac arrest, can also lower the risk of death from sudden cardiac arrest; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we honor the memory of Zeke Upshaw and wish to raise awareness of the risk of cardiac arrest in young athletes; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Zeke Upshaw as a symbol of our esteem, our respect, and our deepest sympathy.