My brother Ryan’s life changed in a matter of hours, and our family is still trying to process how quickly everything happened.

Just days ago, Ryan thought he was finally getting over what seemed like a bad flu he had been fighting for a couple of weeks. He had been taking over-the-counter medications and pushing through it like he always does, thinking he was finally starting to feel better.

On Saturday night, while he was cooking dinner at home, his feet suddenly started to feel numb with a pins-and-needles sensation. He brushed it off and went to bed thinking maybe he had just been sitting too long earlier.

By Sunday morning, things were worse. The numbness had spread up to his knees, and his fingertips felt like they were burning. Ryan and his wife, Gabby, decided it was best to go to the doctor to get it checked out.

But on the way there, Ryan could barely walk. At one point he collapsed, and Gabby had to lift him up off the ground herself. For anyone who knows them, that’s no small task, Ryan is a big guy with Viking blood, while Gabby is a small Italian woman. Still, she got him back up and helped him continue toward the hospital.

Once they arrived, everything began to escalate quickly. Ryan underwent test after test in the ER while his condition continued to worsen right in front of everyone. As the hours passed, he lost control of his arms and legs. By the end of the day, Ryan was completely paralyzed from the neck down.

A spinal tap confirmed the diagnosis: Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) - a rare neurological condition where the body’s immune system suddenly begins attacking the nervous system.

Right now, Ryan can still speak, see, hear, and move his head and neck. But the rest of his body is paralyzed.

Ryan is currently receiving IVIG treatments, an intensive and very expensive therapy designed to stop his immune system from continuing to attack his nerves and hopefully stop the progression of the paralysis. We are praying these treatments work.

If they do, the next step will be a long and difficult road of rehabilitation where Ryan will have to relearn how to walk and use his arms and hands again. There is no clear timeline for recovery. It could take months or longer depending on how his body responds.

Ryan has always been the person who shows up for everyone else.

He is a special educator who pours his heart into his students every day.

He is a basketball coach who cares deeply about the kids he mentors.

He is currently working toward his master’s degree in special education, something he has worked incredibly hard for, and which will now likely be delayed.

He is an incredible husband to Gabby, a loving son, an amazing brother, and the kind of friend who would do anything for the people in his life.

Right now, Ryan and Gabby are facing an incredibly difficult and uncertain road ahead. Between the cost of medical treatments, the long rehabilitation process, and time away from work, the financial burden will be overwhelming.

If you are able to help support Ryan and Gabby during this unimaginable time, whether through a donation, sharing this page, or keeping them in your thoughts and prayers, it would mean more to our family than words can express.

Ryan has spent his life lifting others up.

Now we’re asking for help lifting him as he begins the fight of his life.

For anyone who would like to send Ryan a card or something to help lift his spirits during this time, he has now been transferred to 1199 Pleasant Valley Way, Room 2037, Kessler Rehab, West Orange, NJ 07052.

Thank you for your love, support, and prayers. ❤️