A Mother’s Worst Nightmare — Please Help Ryder

A few days before Christmas, Aubrie was given the news no parent is ever prepared to hear.

Her 10-year-old son, Ryder — a student at Harrison Central Elementary — was diagnosed with Clival Chondro-Chordoma, a rare tumor growing in the bone at the base of his skull. Instead of counting down to Christmas morning, Ryder is preparing for brain surgery. Instead of holiday traditions, they are packing bags to live at Children’s Hospital, not knowing when they’ll come home.

This surgery is only the beginning. Ryder will also face radiation and months of uncertainty. We don’t know what life will look like for him on the other side of this. We don’t know when he’ll return to school, see his friends, or feel like a normal 10-year-old again. What we do know is that this road will be long, exhausting, and emotionally devastating.

Ryder has already talked about how much he will miss his friends. He should be worrying about Christmas lists and school parties — not hospitals, procedures, and recovery. Watching your child face something this big is heartbreaking beyond words.

And yet… Ryder keeps smiling.

Even in fear and pain, he shows a strength we didn’t know was possible. His joy, his courage, and his light inspire everyone around him. He is fighting with everything he has, and we are fighting right alongside him.

For now, the family will be living at Children’s Hospital. Between constant travel, meals away from home, gas, and daily necessities — along with small comforts to help Ryder cope through long hospital days like books, blankets, and activities — the financial burden is growing quickly on top of the emotional weight we’re carrying.

We are asking for help — humbly and desperately.

Any donation, no matter the size, helps us stay focused on what matters most: keeping Ryder safe, comfortable, and surrounded by love while he fights this battle. If you are unable to give financially, please consider sharing this fundraiser or keeping Ryder in your prayers. Those prayers mean more than you could ever know.

Please help us show Ryder how loved he is. Please help us carry him through this.

Thank you for being part of our village during the hardest season of our lives.

The more prayers, the better — and we are so grateful for every single one.