Save a Horse & Cowboy: Help Ryan Heal
Meet Ryan:
Ryan Parker is my brother and has been a vital teacher, friend and medic buddy to many people in Portland, and now he needs our help.
Ryan, like all trans people, deserves access to life affirming medical care.
Ryan was all set to FINALLY have a pair of critical life-affirming surgeries (top surgery and a hysterectomy) , which he'd diligently saved up in preparation for before disaster struck.
Ryan runs a horse rescue (more on that below) and unexpectedly has to re-barn the horses and like the selfless person he is, he's using all his savings to provide for the animals he has been caring for over the last two decades.
He's too shy to ask the community to help, so it's up to us - all the people he's supported in the past, to step in and help him this time.
(Seriously, I can't even put all of the Ryan + Cute animal pictures that exist because Ryan is basically Dr. Dolittle)
Ryan almost singlehandedly keeps a non-profit horse rescue called Once Upon a Rescue in operation, an organization that does a great deal of good in the community, equine and otherwise.
About OUR:
"The goal of Once Upon a Rescue is to save horses from various situations, including feedlots, kill pens, auctions, and private owners, who are in need of either physical or training rehabilitation. Through our intensive retraining program, horses who were once thrown away can become useful and wanted horses again. We take our horses out to events and shows to not only further their individual training, but also to promote rescue horses as capable, competent and useful horses."
One example of a horse who's life has been impacted by Ryan's efforts: Meet Hawk.
Hawk was in pretty bad shape when he was rescued, and needed a lot of veterinary care and love. Fortunately, Ryan and Once Upon a Rescue were there to ensure Hawk got what he needed and today he's doing great:
You can read a lot more about Hawk and many other animals who's lives have been saved by Ryan's efforts at the Once Upon a Rescue Facebook Page:
Activism:
Ryan was there with me for the very beginning of the Rosehip Medics - an all volunteer organization of Street Medics who not only provide direct first aid to activists in the street (putting their bodies at risk and buying their own supplies), but also train new street medics regionally and organize medical support at larger events. The Rosehips have been a critical component of Portland's community infrastructure, and Ryan has been at the heart of that effort for many years. If you have been at a protest and seen a medic in Portland, there's a good chance they were personally trained by Ryan. He is an incredibly patient teacher, a diligent medic and a deeply caring human being who is so massively deserving of being held by his community right now.
Please help me ensure that he's able to take the time off he needs to fully heal and get on with being the incredible, badass brother, friend and comrade he is.