Ryan was such a bright presence in our lives—longer than the odds kept telling us he would be, due to his diagnosis of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. He was so much more than his diagnosis though. He was always so happy and cheerful most days, despite everything. He Always greeted his mom with a smile and a “love you” in the mornings and laughed at their morning routine that sometimes involved Mom dancing and singing around while getting him ready for the day.
He was so smart and knowledgeable about the things he was passionate about, like music and movies, as well as the Titanic and other disasters. He was always a kid with personality when he was young, frequently letting us know what he didn’t like and what he wanted through various little acts of misbehaving—but even when his disease took his ability to walk, that personality never left. He was always so unapologetically himself—blunt and truthful, with some sass sprinkled in. His family always knew how he felt about them, good or bad—which led to a lot of good laughs through the years.
He loved being able to help, and he would have been so pleased to know he was able to help even after his passing through organ and tissue donation. It’s comforting to know that even now, there’s still a part of Ryan helping other people through their lives.
