[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 179 (Tuesday, November 13, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1512-E1513]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        RECOGNIZING RYAN TOPPER

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JACKIE WALORSKI

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 13, 2018

  Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the brave 
actions of Ryan Topper from Bremen.
  Ryan is a student, a rising football star, and a lifesaver. Good 
instinct and determination tend to give people the opportunity to 
achieve, but for Ryan, these qualities also helped him change the 
course of his best friend's life.
  One night, Ryan and friends were driving to a lake house for the 
evening. Ryan, driving ahead of his friends, realized their truck was

[[Page E1513]]

no longer behind him. He turned around to find that his friend's truck 
had skidded on ice and hit an embankment, crumpling the side of the 
truck and shattering the passenger window before coming to rest back in 
the middle of road. It was a miracle that only one person was seriously 
injured. Brock Meister would not have survived the next few moments 
without Ryan's bravery and quick thinking.
  Ryan recognized immediately that he needed to keep his friend's neck 
in place until help arrived. As he held tight to Brock's head and neck, 
reassuring him and physically preventing him from moving, Ryan kept him 
calm by repeating the words, ``My boy, Brock,'' and called 911. Ryan 
didn't leave his friend's side that night, and it kept him alive. He 
then helped him navigate the long, difficult road to recovery, making 
the two-and-a-half-hour drive to and from Indianapolis to be with his 
friend in between football commitments. It is truly an honor to 
represent young Hoosiers like Ryan who put their own needs aside to 
help others, and whose strength and compassion stand as a guiding light 
in our community. Ryan's natural leadership and strong will are surely 
just the foundation for the amazing future that lies ahead of him. I 
have no doubt he will go on to do great things and will continue to 
positively impact the world around him. Hoosiers will, continue to look 
up to his ability to seize opportunity and lead with kindness for years 
to come.
  Mr. Speaker, Ryan Topper epitomizes the selflessness and readiness to 
help that are so valued in northern Indiana. He shows us what it means 
to be a Hoosier, an American, and, above all, a true friend. On behalf 
of Indiana's 2nd District, it is my honor to recognize his valiant 
actions.

                          ____________________