Cancer & spinal cord injury relief fund for Ryan

Hey guys,

I’m reaching out in hopes that some of you may have some spare means to help a family that has a very tough road ahead of them.

A few weeks ago in early October, my 14 year old cousin Ryan, was flown to BC Children’s hospital. After a few weeks of intense back pain he suddenly lost all sensory and motor function to both his legs. It was found that he had two tumors pressing on his spinal cord and when he arrived in Vancouver they did emergency surgery to relieve the pressure. After further testing he was diagnosed with Lymphoma.

In the past few weeks (and the month before this) Ryan and his family have been through every parent's worst nightmare. Just two days after the cancer diagnosis and ~8 hour spinal surgery, he was given his first chemo treatment. While Ryan is finally receiving the treatment he needs, it’s going to be a very long road to recovery.

Because Ryan is not only battling the cancer but also fighting to regain the function of his legs, his medical team has said that he will need to be in Vancouver for at least the next 6 months for treatment. Then for the next 1.5 years after that he will likely be able to go home but will need to return to Vancouver periodically to continue his cancer treatment.

My family lives in Fort St. John where Ryan’s twin siblings, Kayla and Kyle, are in grade 7. Being >1200km from home the next couple years will pose significant financial strain on the family as one parent, Glenn or Barbie, will need to be in Vancouver with Ryan and the other will need to be back home in Fort St. John with the other two kids.

Any little bit helps as this would give my family the peace of mind to be able to focus on Ryan’s healing.

Thank you so much in advance for any support you are able to offer. I look forward to being able to share more updates as Ryan over comes this challenging time ahead of him.

All my love,

Deanna