SR0576 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0576 LRB096 15269 KXB 32091 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Jasper Rylan Sherman was born on September 1, 2005 and passed away on February 25, 2009 after waging a courageous battle against Mitochondrial Disease; Jasper's memory lives on in the minds and hearts of his loving family and friends who remain committed to educating the public about Mitochondrial Disease with the hope of one day finding a cure; and

WHEREAS, Mitochondria are the power plants in every cell of a person's body and create more than 90% of the energy needed by the body to sustain life and support growth; mitochondria may not function correctly due to genetic defects, damage caused by drugs, or damage caused by destructive molecules called free radicals; and

WHEREAS, When mitochondria fail, cell injury and cell death follow, and if the process is repeated throughout the body, whole systems begin to fail; and

WHEREAS, Mitochondrial diseases can cause isolated symptoms like seizures, low blood counts, blindness, deafness, dementia, heart failure, and progressive muscle weakness, but more often they cause failure of several organ systems in sequence; and

WHEREAS, Mitochondrial diseases can affect any person at any age; it is estimated that more than one in 4,000 children born in the United States each year will develop a mitochondrial disease by 10 years of age; and

WHEREAS, Since mitochondrial disorders mimic other diseases, it is believed that they are under-diagnosed; and

WHEREAS, Currently no cures or effective therapies exist, but early diagnosis can help patients and their families use proper medication and nutritional supplements to improve the quality of life, and even prolong life; and

WHEREAS, It is appropriate that all citizens of the State of Illinois be better informed about mitochondrial diseases and their impact; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we designate the third full week of September in each year as Mitochondrial Disease Awareness Week in the State of Illinois, and the citizens of the State of Illinois are urged to observe the week with appropriate activities and programs.