[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 9]
[House]
[Page 11970]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    IN REMEMBRANCE OF STEVE ROCKFORD

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Rodney Davis) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in 
remembrance of my friend, Steve Rockford, who passed away last week 
following his 5-year battle with ALS, Lou Gehrig's disease.
  I first met Steve when he came here to Washington, D.C., to advocate 
on behalf of more funding for ALS research, and I was really struck by 
his courageously uplifting demeanor in the midst of a very dark 
prognosis.
  Steve came to my office, was all smiles, brought me this pack of 
cards where his card was on the top. As you can see right here, Steve 
leaves behind his wife, Tammie, and his five children.
  While this terrible disease attacked Steve's body, it really never 
touched his resolve. He held a positive and inspirational mindset 
throughout not only the diagnosis and his treatments, but throughout 
his fight against ALS. He never let Lou Gehrig's disease bring him 
down.
  Steve actually sent me text messages every day, and it is sad that I 
don't get them anymore, and we know why. His text messages would have 
Biblical verses, inspirational messages from a man who was fighting a 
disease that he knew he was not going to live through.
  That tells you a lot about Steve Rockford, a former wrestling coach 
at Southeast High School in Springfield, Illinois. He is somebody who 
taught others how to lift themselves up. And while he was fighting the 
fight of his life, he taught me what it was like to be lifted up by 
someone so special.
  ALS is a devastating disease. It attacks the body. It never stops 
relenting. It is estimated that 20,000 people have this disease at any 
given time, and only 20 percent of those affected with ALS live more 
than 5 years after diagnosis.
  We must follow Steve's request to fund research at the National 
Institutes of Health to ensure that diseases like ALS are eradicated 
and that those afflicted with the disease have access to home health 
services and rehabilitation equipment.
  While facing a debilitating disease and diagnosis, as you can tell, 
Steve did not despair, falter, or surrender. Steve Rockford is a hero 
to me. He is a hero to many in his hometown of Springfield, Illinois. I 
am a better man for knowing Steve Rockford.
  Please continue to keep his wife, Tammie, and their five beautiful 
children right here in this picture, please keep them in your thoughts 
and prayers.
  Steve, we are going to miss you. I am sure you are having fun up 
there.

                          ____________________