Ryah Anela's Medical Treatment

Hafa Adai Family and Friends!

Writing this humbles us to the core, and we know we all have been hit hard in some way shape, or form due to Covid, loss of income, inflation, and death. We have been dealt with a few blows ourselves. We’re reaching out to find hope and help for our oldest daughter who has been battling health issues and deserves a full, healthy life.

Our 11yr old daughter, Ryah Anela, is a mature, smart, beautiful, and witty young lady. She is in the 6th grade and is an A student. She loves reading books of all kinds such as history, art, and especially Japanese Manga. She enjoys playing video games and loves watching YouTube.

Ryah has had her share of health issues since she was 6yrs old. From being diagnosed with minor hearing loss due to an ear infection, abnormal thyroid function, abnormal insulin levels, early menses at age nine, tonsillectomy, and above average in height and weight. Ryah has extensive medical records with our local ENT, Dr. Castro, and our island’s only adult Endocrinologist, Dr. Alford. We thought that the health scares would all end there once we managed what we could.

Unfortunately, on September 23, 2022, Ryah’s life was in jeopardy and emergency surgery was needed to save her. Leading up to that day, everything seemed normal. Ryah did not complain of any pain anywhere in her body. However, on the morning of the 23rd, she started feeling lower abdominal pain, which she would describe as bad cramps due to her menstruation. We brushed it off thinking it was just that and we gave her over-the-counter pain medication to help her. While we went to work, Ryah and her sister were being watched by their grandmother next door but it was only then she started to complain more about the pain. Her grandmother tried every local remedy to help the pain go away. Unfortunately, none would work, and when the pain became more unbearable they called for an ambulance and she was rushed to Guam Regional Medical Center (GRMC). At GRMC, lab work and an ultrasound was done. It was discovered that she had a large mass in her abdomen, attached to her right ovary and it twisted. GRMC did not have the specialist needed to perform any procedure to help Ryah so she was rushed to Guam Memorial Hospital (GMH) where there was an OBGYN on duty to perform the procedure.

Ryah was suffering from a right ovarian torsion (or twisted ovary) caused by a baseball-sized cyst. They also found a smaller cyst on her left ovary and which was successfully removed with her ovary intact. However, the baseball-sized cyst along with her right ovary was removed. After, the doctor who performed the surgery informed us that this was an extremely rare case, especially for an 11yr old. He mentioned that in his entire career of performing these types of surgeries, he had never seen anything like it. After further tests and lab work, it was suggested that Ryah displays characteristics of PCOS or Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. PCOS is a very common hormone problem for women of childbearing age. Women with PCOS may not ovulate, have high levels of androgens, and have many small cysts on the ovaries. If not treated or managed, it can lead to cancer. PCOS can cause missed or irregular menstrual periods, excess hair growth, acne, infertility, and weight gain. Ryah is only 11.

Ryah now has been referred to see 2 types of specialists to accurately pinpoint what is going on within her body. The 2 types of specialists she needs to see are a Pediatric Endocrinologist and a Pediatric Gynecologist. Due to our location and the state of our healthcare system, these specialists are not available on the island and we now have to travel to the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles.

We do not like asking for help and in normal circumstances, we can get through other situations somehow on our own. However, we have swallowed our pride and are asking friends, family, and even friends we have yet to meet to help us. The money raised will be used towards transportation, room and board, and medical expenses. If you are unable to donate, we believe in the power of prayer, and possibly providing words of love and encouragement for Ryah will be just as great. We love you all and thank you.