Ryan is a father, 10+ year employee of Toyota Motor Manufacturing, and an avid BBQ cook.

He has been diagnosed with an extremely rare disease known as MALS - Median Arcuate Ligament Syndrome. This disease is listed on the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) database as well as the Rare Disease registry. It is a vascular compression syndrome that attacks a major artery.

A ligament has become wrapped around his celiac artery, causing over 80% stenosis, and an aneurysm has formed as a result. This artery supplies blood and oxygen to the major organs, so as a result, they are being starved. 

This causes Ryan a lot of pain and discomfort on a daily basis. He cannot eat, as eating causes even more pain and sickness. As a result, he has lost over 30 pounds so far and is very malnourished. So much so that he has now been referred to a nutritionist.

Due to the rarity and complexity of this disease, Ryan has been through multiple doctors and surgeons including Fayette Surgical Associates and University of Kentucky Hospital Heart and Vascular, and now has to travel through multiple states to Cleveland, Ohio, for life-saving surgery. 

The ligament constricting his artery must be carefully shaved through to free the artery. This must be done very carefully to ensure not to puncture the aorta or the artery itself. Then, due to the damage this has caused, a bypass will likely need to be performed, which involves pulling veins from Ryan’s leg to use to bypass the artery in his abdomen, along with removing the damaged nerves connecting to his spine.

This disease has greatly impacted his life. He can no longer cook and enjoy the barbecue he’s loved cooking for years. Family dinners and brunch with his daughter are now a thing of the past. Any and all donations will help Ryan on his road to life again.