HJ0112 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HJ0112 LRB095 20296 GRL 47308 r

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Crohn's disease is a chronic disorder that causes inflammation of the digestive or gastrointestinal tract; and

WHEREAS, Crohn's disease and a related disease, ulcerative colitis, are the two main disease categories that belong to a larger group of illnesses called inflammatory bowel disease; and

WHEREAS, Irritable bowel disease impacts 1.4 million patients per year in the United States, at an annual cost of approximately $2 billion per year; and

WHEREAS, Approximately 30,000 new cases of Irritable Bowel Disease are diagnosed every year; and

WHEREAS, Irritable bowel disease is primarily a disease affecting young people and those in the prime of their life; and

WHEREAS, Children with inflammatory bowel disease miss school activities and do not have the appropriate access to restrooms during school hours; and

WHEREAS, Inflammatory bowel disease patients are at a high risk of developing colorectal cancer; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we designate the date of April 11, 2008 as Crohn's and Irritable Bowel Disease Day in the State of Illinois.