HR0759 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0759 LRB099 14017 GRL 38036 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Retinoblastoma is a malignant cancer that develops in the retina during early childhood; most children diagnosed with the disease are younger than 3 years old; it is often found when a parent or doctor notices that a child's eye displays unusual signs or symptoms; and

WHEREAS, If the disease goes undetected, retinoblastoma requires the removal of the eye to keep the disease from spreading to the optic nerve and the brain; and

WHEREAS, Retinoblastoma is a rare disease, with only about 200 to 300 children diagnosed with the disease each year in the United States; and

WHEREAS, The members of this body believe that greater attention must be placed on raising awareness of retinoblastoma and other cancers in order to fight these debilitating diseases and the effects they have on the citizens of this State; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we designate the month of September as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in the State of Illinois and urge the citizens of this State to ask their pediatricians to perform red-reflex tests on their children in order to aid in the fight against retinoblastoma and other childhood cancers; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to BeyondRB as a symbol of our respect and esteem for the organization's work.