[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 20]
[House]
[Page 26971]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                             BRANDON'S LAW

  (Mr. HARE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. HARE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Brandon 
Ballard of Taylor Ridge, Illinois, and to support testicular cancer 
education, the best medicine to fight the most common cancer in young 
men.
  Madam Speaker, Brandon Ballard was a star high school basketball 
player with a champion's heart. Although Brandon had been active in 
sports and had annual physical exams, his cancer went undetected for 2 
years. During his illness, Brandon dedicated himself to raising 
awareness about the warning signs of testicular cancer. One year ago 
this month, Brandon lost a hard-fought battle with testicular cancer at 
the young age of 19.
  Madam Speaker, I stand here today not only to share with you 
Brandon's story but to recognize the efforts of Jim and Kristen Ballard 
to carry on Brandon's work. With the support of Senator Mike Jacobs, 
the Ballards lobbied the State assembly to require health classes to 
teach the signs and symptoms of testicular cancer and encourage 
screenings of male athletes. I am proud to say that their hard work 
paid off in August when Governor Pat Quinn signed Brandon's Law.
  Madam Speaker, I commend the Ballard family for turning the tragic 
loss of their son into an opportunity to save the lives of young men.

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