HR1535 LRB095 22576 KXB 52980 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, Mitochondria are the power plants in every cell of
3 a person's body and create more than 90% of the energy needed
4 by the body to sustain life and support growth; and
 
5     WHEREAS, Mitochondria may not function correctly due to
6 genetic defects, damage caused by drugs, or damage caused by
7 destructive molecules called free radicals; and
 
8     WHEREAS, When mitochondria fail, cell injury and cell death
9 follow, and if the process is repeated throughout the body,
10 whole systems begin to fail; and
 
11     WHEREAS, Mitochondrial diseases can cause isolated
12 symptoms like seizures, low blood counts, blindness, deafness,
13 dementia, heart failure, and progressive muscle weakness, but
14 more often they cause failure of several organ systems in
15 sequence; and
 
16     WHEREAS, Although mitochondrial diseases can affect any
17 person at any age it is estimated that more than one in 4,000
18 children born in the United States each year will develop a
19 mitochondrial disease by ten years of age; and
 
20     WHEREAS, Since mitochondrial disorders mimic other

 

 

HR1535 - 2 - LRB095 22576 KXB 52980 r

1 diseases, it is believed that they are under-diagnosed; and
 
2     WHEREAS, Currently no cures or effective therapies exist,
3 but early diagnosis can help patients and their families use
4 proper medication and nutritional supplements to improve the
5 quality of life and even prolong life; and
 
6     WHEREAS, It is important that citizens of the State of
7 Illinois be better informed about mitochondrial diseases and
8 their impact; therefore, be it
 
9     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
10 NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
11 designate the third week of September of 2008 as Mitochondrial
12 Disease Awareness Week in the State of Illinois and the
13 citizens of the State of Illinois are urged to observe the week
14 with appropriate activities and programs; and be it further
 
15     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
16 presented to the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation as a
17 symbol of our support for raising awareness about mitochondrial
18 disease.