Support Ryan's Fight Against Cancer

My little cousin Ryan (34) got married to his beautiful and talented wife Ashlee just last year.  Since then, he was misdiagnosed by his primary with IBS.  A recent severe illness, initially thought to be food poisoning, led to the discovery of a tumor on his Pancreas that proved to be cancerous, specifically Adenocarcinoma.  This type of Pancreatic cancer is fast growing (he's lost 25 pounds over the last three weeks), and he needs to battle this as pro-actively as possible.  A stint was placed in his Common Bile Duct to assist with the blockage caused by the tumor, but insurance has been a challenge and he was initially stuck on an HMO with a deductible of $6500 (that he has already maxed out)!


Through some incredible blessings and a strong network of family/friends, he was finally able to change insurance and get into UCLA's cancer program.  UCLA's top Pancreatic surgeon miraculously had a cancellation in his schedule, and they already have surgery planned for Monday, Dec 10th.  The type of surgery Ryan needs is called a "Whipple Procedure", an extensive 6+ hour surgery, but necessary first step in his treatment.  However this is just the beginning of the road, and he will likely continue with Chemotherapy in the new year for an additional 5-6 months.  While they feel truly blessed to be in the UCLA system, this poses other financial challenges.  His new insurance carries higher premiums and he will now have to max out his second Out of Pocket within a week.  Unfortunately he couldn't afford to wait and delays in treatment could affect his survival rate. 

We are coming together as Ryan's family and friends to help lift him up both financially and through prayer.  Let's show Ryan and Ashlee they aren't alone in this fight, now and into the coming year!  Anything you can do to help would be appreciated.


*If you’d feel more comfortable or would prefer to donate more directly, please contact Ashlee, or send a message to any family member for PayPal/Venmo information.