[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 198 (Monday, December 17, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1679]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         HONORING BLAKE KINNETT

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JOHN SHIMKUS

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, December 17, 2018

  Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Blake James Dale 
Kinnett of Alvin, Illinois. Blake is the son of John and Becky and 
brother to Kaitlyn and Garet. He is passionate about sports, especially 
baseball and basketball. By the age of 12, Blake was a two-time 
baseball state champion, and even played in a national tournament in 
Cooperstown, New York with the Illiana Chiefs.
  Blake also enjoyed playing basketball in Alvin, where a court has 
been renamed in his honor. When Blake wasn't playing sports, he enjoyed 
spending time with his friends and family as well as fishing and turkey 
hunting.
  In 2017, Blake was diagnosed with Adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD), a 
disease that destroys the protective myelin sheath surrounding the 
brain's neurons. ALD affects 1 in 18,000 people, and to date there is 
no known cure.
  After Blake's diagnosis, his community rallied around him and his 
family to sponsor fundraisers and help spread awareness about ALD. 
Blake, his family, and his community's efforts to spread awareness of 
this disease helped affect change in Illinois state law and led to the 
designation of December 1st as ``Blake Kinnett Day''.
  Mr. Speaker, I wish to commend Blake for his resilience in facing his 
ALD diagnosis. Blake is an inspiration to everyone who hears his story. 
May God bless him and his family.

                          ____________________