- J
Ryan Reilly’s Road to Recovery
0% complete
$35,255 raised of $35K
345 donations
Dear Family, Friends, and Community,
On April 16th, our brother, Ryan, fell critically ill and was rushed by ambulance to the level one intensive care unit at Hennepin Healthcare in downtown Minneapolis. He was diagnosed with a severe staph infection in his blood. In a matter of just a few days, this infection destroyed most of Ryan’s aortic heart valve, caused two separate strokes to the right side of his brain, and damaged his kidneys. An unknown, pre-existing condition in his heart accelerated the damage caused by the infection, leading to a very immediate life-threatening situation for an otherwise healthy 30 year old.
Upon diagnosis, Ryan was brought in for emergency open-heart surgery under the supervision of Dr. Ranjit John to remove the bulk of the infection from his heart and install a mechanical aortic heart valve. After a long 6 hours, we learned that surgery went exceptionally well. Due to Dr. John’s skill and the incredible cardiac team at Hennepin Healthcare, Ryan came out of surgery and was able to continue his fight.
Days later, Ryan’s battle continued with a second open-heart surgery to remove fluid surrounding his heart and lungs, along with a series of scans and tests to assess the damage caused by his strokes. He’s had IVs, PICC lines, and chest tubes that would be countless if not for the scars left behind on his chest and body. Through all of this, Ryan’s resolve hasn’t faltered. He’s handled 63 days in the hospital, in and out of operating rooms and rehab centers, with true grit and optimism; the kind of determination that you only really understand if you know Ry.
Due to the pandemic, our family has been constrained to manage Ryan’s care from a distance and attempt to deliver our love through an iPad screen. Thankfully, we were finally able to take Ryan home to Rush Lake this weekend where he began his outpatient recovery. He’ll be staying with Alex (Ryan’s older brother) so that he can recover close to family instead of in a hospital room. Drew (Ryan’s younger brother) and Rachel (Ryan’s girlfriend) are frequently visiting to keep Ryan company. Connie and Mike (Ryan’s parents) are also close by to keep an eye on him and help with his meals, appointments, and provide transportation.
While we’re so grateful for this huge milestone, Ryan still has a long road ahead. He’ll need some close care and supervision as he recovers physically, and he has deficits in his short-term memory function that will take some time and therapy to improve. Ryan also still has one more major heart surgery in his future to repair or replace a second heart valve that was recently found to be failing. We’re confident that Ryan’s sheer will of character, paired with his strong support network of friends and family, will propel him into brighter days ahead...maybe with just a few extra robot parts than expected.
Many folks have reached out to ask how they can help. Our family, and Ryan especially, are so humbled by this. As many of you know, Ryan has been proudly self-employed for several years now, working to build his dream as a small-business owner. Unfortunately, this also means that Ryan’s individual self-pay health insurance is not as robust as one might hope for in a situation like this. We had intentions to host a benefit for Ryan, but given the circumstances of the pandemic, it makes public gatherings very challenging. We’re starting to see some large bills come in and much of Ryan’s care was out-of-network. In addition, it may take Ryan a bit of time to get his memory and strength back enough to return to work.
If you know Ryan, you know that he’s typically one to lend a hand rather than ask for help himself. But today is a bit different, whether we like it or not. If you’d like to help Ryan out with his finances, no matter the amount, our family would be incredibly grateful. If you know others who may be interested in helping out as well, please share with your network as you see fit.
Thank you all for being a part of Ryan’s life and for taking the time to read his story. He can’t wait to see you all again soon and celebrate the great years to come!
Cheers,
Alex & Drew (Ryan’s brothers)
On April 16th, our brother, Ryan, fell critically ill and was rushed by ambulance to the level one intensive care unit at Hennepin Healthcare in downtown Minneapolis. He was diagnosed with a severe staph infection in his blood. In a matter of just a few days, this infection destroyed most of Ryan’s aortic heart valve, caused two separate strokes to the right side of his brain, and damaged his kidneys. An unknown, pre-existing condition in his heart accelerated the damage caused by the infection, leading to a very immediate life-threatening situation for an otherwise healthy 30 year old.
Upon diagnosis, Ryan was brought in for emergency open-heart surgery under the supervision of Dr. Ranjit John to remove the bulk of the infection from his heart and install a mechanical aortic heart valve. After a long 6 hours, we learned that surgery went exceptionally well. Due to Dr. John’s skill and the incredible cardiac team at Hennepin Healthcare, Ryan came out of surgery and was able to continue his fight.
Days later, Ryan’s battle continued with a second open-heart surgery to remove fluid surrounding his heart and lungs, along with a series of scans and tests to assess the damage caused by his strokes. He’s had IVs, PICC lines, and chest tubes that would be countless if not for the scars left behind on his chest and body. Through all of this, Ryan’s resolve hasn’t faltered. He’s handled 63 days in the hospital, in and out of operating rooms and rehab centers, with true grit and optimism; the kind of determination that you only really understand if you know Ry.
Due to the pandemic, our family has been constrained to manage Ryan’s care from a distance and attempt to deliver our love through an iPad screen. Thankfully, we were finally able to take Ryan home to Rush Lake this weekend where he began his outpatient recovery. He’ll be staying with Alex (Ryan’s older brother) so that he can recover close to family instead of in a hospital room. Drew (Ryan’s younger brother) and Rachel (Ryan’s girlfriend) are frequently visiting to keep Ryan company. Connie and Mike (Ryan’s parents) are also close by to keep an eye on him and help with his meals, appointments, and provide transportation.
While we’re so grateful for this huge milestone, Ryan still has a long road ahead. He’ll need some close care and supervision as he recovers physically, and he has deficits in his short-term memory function that will take some time and therapy to improve. Ryan also still has one more major heart surgery in his future to repair or replace a second heart valve that was recently found to be failing. We’re confident that Ryan’s sheer will of character, paired with his strong support network of friends and family, will propel him into brighter days ahead...maybe with just a few extra robot parts than expected.
Many folks have reached out to ask how they can help. Our family, and Ryan especially, are so humbled by this. As many of you know, Ryan has been proudly self-employed for several years now, working to build his dream as a small-business owner. Unfortunately, this also means that Ryan’s individual self-pay health insurance is not as robust as one might hope for in a situation like this. We had intentions to host a benefit for Ryan, but given the circumstances of the pandemic, it makes public gatherings very challenging. We’re starting to see some large bills come in and much of Ryan’s care was out-of-network. In addition, it may take Ryan a bit of time to get his memory and strength back enough to return to work.
If you know Ryan, you know that he’s typically one to lend a hand rather than ask for help himself. But today is a bit different, whether we like it or not. If you’d like to help Ryan out with his finances, no matter the amount, our family would be incredibly grateful. If you know others who may be interested in helping out as well, please share with your network as you see fit.
Thank you all for being a part of Ryan’s life and for taking the time to read his story. He can’t wait to see you all again soon and celebrate the great years to come!
Cheers,
Alex & Drew (Ryan’s brothers)