Give Grace a Chance: Honoring Donja Ryan’s Legacy

Sadly, Donja passed on July 10, 2022. Donations are more important than ever as Grace and her grandparents enter this new journey. Please read the updates for more information.

---

Our sister, Donja, will soon pass from terminal cancer. During this incredibly difficult time, our parents are caring for her and her 20-month-old baby, Grace, whom they've adopted. They are selfless people of humble means who need our help to survive the tremendous burden of providing the life for Grace that Donja would have wanted.

Donja has been staring down cancer for 20 years. Her tumors (astrocytoma) were halted for nearly two decades through surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. But in 2020, when she was seven months pregnant with her youngest daughter, Grace, she began experiencing stroke-like symptoms. Our mom rushed her to the hospital.

The news was devastating: her symptoms were caused by fluid around her brain, the result of a Grade IV astrocytoma—a glioblastoma (GBM). Notoriously aggressive. She was given 14 months, at best. But Donja is a fighter—anyone who knows her can attest to this. As a mother of two with another daughter on the way, her response was quintessentially her: “F*CK THAT!” She is bold and fiendishly humorous. She gave birth to Grace two months later and has been fighting like mad for the past 22 months.

But Donja’s fight is nearly over. Now, at 38, our sister will soon lose the battle she has fiercely fought against terminal brain cancer. New treatments have been devastating to Donja’s body. Now mostly incapacitated and unable to communicate, she has transitioned to in-home hospice care. GBM is a cruel illness, and it is testing our family. Donja is strong, and we continue to stand strong beside her. But we can't do it alone.

Our parents, Jon and Tammy, are taking care of Donja and baby Grace full-time. This is taking a tremendous toll—emotionally and financially. They recently adopted Grace at Donja's request so she would grow up in her loving family. Donja’s older daughters are shared with her ex-husband, but Grace’s father is unable to care for her. Her care during these crucially important early childhood years is one of the biggest reasons we are reaching out via GoFundMe.

Anything you can spare will be both incredibly helpful and appreciated. Our parents work humble jobs—Tammy as a nursing home LPN (nurse) and Jon as a handyman—so making ends meet under these circumstances as costs and debt pile up is tremendously challenging, and even more so since they will be raising Grace as they enter their senior years.

Please help our family get through this difficult time as they face the loss of their eldest daughter and embrace the journey of raising their granddaughter.

We will post updates when possible. WE WILL FIGHT FOR DONJA. Thank you for anything you can offer to help.

Thank you from our entire family,

Brittany & Gordon Ryan