Help Ryan get back on his feet
Donation protected
Anyone who knows Ryan and Megan de Smidt knows what wonderful people they are. Warm, loving, and endlessly kind, this young couple are the kind of people that will remain your friends for life.
But if you know Ryan and Megan, you’ll also know that, despite all this, the past few years have been incredibly hard on them. When Meg fell pregnant in 2016 and found out that they were expecting non-identical twins, the couple were overjoyed. However, one of the babies died in utero, and Megan was forced to carry both babies to full term. To ensure the safety of the surviving child during such a high-risk pregnancy, almost weekly visits to the gynecologist were essential, and by the time little Adam was born 9 months ago, their savings were entirely depleted by medical costs.
A miracle baby in his own right, life with Adam has been undeniably wonderful, but his rough start and weakened immune system have meant that he has already needed to be hospitalised twice for bronchial pneumonia. And just when they thought things couldn’t get harder, tragedy struck this young family in May of 2017, and Ryan was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome: An incredibly rare and debilitating disorder in which the body's immune system attacks part of the peripheral nervous system.
As an editor, Ryan has no company benefits, and with Megan job as a nursery school teacher, this doesn't provide company benefits either. Currently, their medical aid only covers in hospital costs, and with his needing to be in rehab for an expected period of at least three to six months, Ryan’s company will thankfully pay him just a basic until he can fully contribute and eventually get back into the working environment, this will cover the families basic survival but unfortunately not for Ryan's outpatient medical costs which he will need for a few months once out of the rehab facility.
With a hospital plan medical aid that gives authorization on a weekly basis, the anticipated two years of recovery that Ryan has ahead of him are incredibly daunting. With such a weak immune system, an alarmingly high susceptibility to infection, and the inability to work, each and every day is a fight for this young family.
As they look toward their future, we ask you to please assist us in helping the de Smidt family in any way you can. With such a long road ahead of them, we have faith in the power of their community to pull together and help Ryan, Megan and little Adam through this incredibly hard time.
But if you know Ryan and Megan, you’ll also know that, despite all this, the past few years have been incredibly hard on them. When Meg fell pregnant in 2016 and found out that they were expecting non-identical twins, the couple were overjoyed. However, one of the babies died in utero, and Megan was forced to carry both babies to full term. To ensure the safety of the surviving child during such a high-risk pregnancy, almost weekly visits to the gynecologist were essential, and by the time little Adam was born 9 months ago, their savings were entirely depleted by medical costs.
A miracle baby in his own right, life with Adam has been undeniably wonderful, but his rough start and weakened immune system have meant that he has already needed to be hospitalised twice for bronchial pneumonia. And just when they thought things couldn’t get harder, tragedy struck this young family in May of 2017, and Ryan was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome: An incredibly rare and debilitating disorder in which the body's immune system attacks part of the peripheral nervous system.
As an editor, Ryan has no company benefits, and with Megan job as a nursery school teacher, this doesn't provide company benefits either. Currently, their medical aid only covers in hospital costs, and with his needing to be in rehab for an expected period of at least three to six months, Ryan’s company will thankfully pay him just a basic until he can fully contribute and eventually get back into the working environment, this will cover the families basic survival but unfortunately not for Ryan's outpatient medical costs which he will need for a few months once out of the rehab facility.
With a hospital plan medical aid that gives authorization on a weekly basis, the anticipated two years of recovery that Ryan has ahead of him are incredibly daunting. With such a weak immune system, an alarmingly high susceptibility to infection, and the inability to work, each and every day is a fight for this young family.
As they look toward their future, we ask you to please assist us in helping the de Smidt family in any way you can. With such a long road ahead of them, we have faith in the power of their community to pull together and help Ryan, Megan and little Adam through this incredibly hard time.
Organizer and beneficiary
Sebastian Clay
Organizer
Richard Mingo
Beneficiary
