ILLINOIS REGISTER 6583
09
PROCLAMATIONS
Issued by the Governor April 20, 2009
Filed by the Secretary of State April 24, 2009
2009-147
Children's Interstitial Lung Disease Awareness Week
WHEREAS, children's interstitial lung diseases include a group of rare, life-threatening lung
diseases in children that can lead to progressive, incurable lung scarring or life-long
lung problems; and
WHEREAS, certain children's interstitial lung diseases can progress quickly, causing disability
or death within the first two years of life; and
WHEREAS, children's interstitial lung diseases are one of the leading causes of lung
transplantation in children, due to scarring and an irreversible loss of the lung
tissue's ability to transport oxygen; and
WHEREAS, children's interstitial lung disease is not the same as adult interstitial lung disease;
and
WHEREAS, children's interstitial lung diseases are caused by poorly understood genetic
abnormalities that affect families, infection, bleeding in the lungs, autoimmune
diseases, or abnormal lung development; and
WHEREAS, children's interstitial lung diseases are often misdiagnosed or under-diagnosed;
and
WHEREAS, there is no proven cure or treatment for children's interstitial lung diseases; and
WHEREAS, limited funding is available for research into these rare lung problems in children;
and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to increase research funding, awareness, and detection of the
disorders, as well as all incarnations of children's interstitial lung disease:
THEREFORE, I, Pat Quinn, Governor of the State of Illinois, do hereby proclaim May 1-7, 2009
as CHILDREN'S INTERSTITIAL LUNG DISEASE AWARENESS WEEK in Illinois, to
increase awareness of these disorders and in recognition of the advocates and organizations
working to educate, support and provide hope for individuals who suffer from children's
interstitial lung disease.
