On December 21, 2025, while on Christmas vacation in Pennsylvania from Houston, Katie, my sister in law - Tom's sister, took her 15-year-old son, Ryan, to the emergency room after he developed chest pain, body aches, and a dangerously high fever of 104.3. What she thought might be the flu quickly turned into something much more serious.

After running tests, doctors shared devastating news with Katie and Jesse’s aunt, Merliee, who was with them at the hospital: Ryan was anemic, his platelets were low, and his blood work was highly concerning for leukemia. Ryan was immediately transferred to Janet Weis Children’s Hospital in Danville, PA, where he was admitted.

The next day was overwhelming. Katie and Jesse met with Ryan’s oncology team, and Ryan underwent a bone marrow biopsy, along with blood and platelet transfusions. Late that night, the oncologist confirmed what no parent ever expects to hear — Ryan was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

In the days that followed, Ryan had a mediport placed for chemotherapy and a spinal tap. From the moment Katie brought him to the ER until Christmas morning, Ryan battled persistent fevers, chills, and extreme discomfort.

Ryan began chemotherapy on Christmas Eve, and his treatment is expected to continue through June 2028. Katie and Jesse remain in Pennsylvania with Ryan as he completes this first phase of treatment, while their other three children returned home to Houston with family support. Ryan must stay in Pennsylvania until his blood counts recover, with his final treatment in this phase scheduled for January 21st. After that, the plan is to return to Houston to continue care.

To be by Ryan’s side during treatment, Katie will be taking time off work under FMLA, resulting in a significant decrease in family income while medical bills and everyday expenses continue to grow.

This fundraiser is meant to help ease that financial burden so this family can focus on what truly matters — Ryan’s healing and strength. Any donation, share, or kind message means more than words can express. Thank you for supporting Ryan and his family during this incredibly difficult journey.

We are currently documenting Ryans fight on The Ryan Daily.