State Rep. Deborah Mell, one of three openly gay members of the Illinois General Assembly, has been diagnosed with breast cancer.
Mell, 43, represents the 40th District on the city's Northwest Side. She told Windy City Times that the cancer is Stage 1, and that she is pursuing expert advice from her doctors. She will receive more tests including a genetic test to help inform her treatment options.
"I am very grateful for my wife, Christin, my family and friends and especially the radiology team at Lynn Sage Breast Cancer Center at Northwestern who found the cancer," Mell said. "I will continue to serve my constituents, and hope for a speedy recovery."
Mell and her wife were married in Iowa in 2011, and later celebrated their union in Chicago.
Deb asks for prayers for Christin because she is a miserable patient.
A Democrat, Mell was first elected in Nov. 4, 2008. Her father is Ald. Richard Mell and her sister is Patti Blagojevich.
