Ryan’s Story
Monday, January 25th, 2010This entry is different than most of our posts. It has very little to do with money, and everything to do strength, belief, and hope. It demonstrates one of our core beliefs – that we are a community at MoneyMinding, and we carry the dreams and the hopes of each and every one of you with us.
Ryan is a financial planner, living in Calgary. He is a husband, a father, an uncle and a son. Like all of us, he has dreams and aspirations, not just for himself, but for his family. His mother is a MoneyMinding member, and she shares her son’s story of his struggle to survive against his recurrence of a brain tumor. I have provided an excerpt from Jo-Ann’s touching letter and ask you to take a moment to read about Ryan’s battle and help where you can.
Just before Christmas, my son Ryan had another MRI to see how his treatment for his Brain Tumour was progressing. After so much hope and success, along with great apprehension and an ongoing emotional roller-coaster for the last year, we were praying for no change or a change for the better. Unfortunately, it was not to be as it was discovered that the cancer has once again raised it’s ugly head and has begun to appear in the original area. The success of the Avastin has stopped and that treatment and the VP16 Chemo was halted immediately. To say that we were all devastated was an understatement. And this, just 3 days before Christmas.
Ryan and our entire family went to sadness, anger, fear and more. But somehow, after dealing with those negative feelings, we all once again, in our own way, found what we needed to come back to our strength in order to once again fight to find a way to be strong for Ryan and to look forward to other ways to find a treatment that will help to extend his life and keep Ryan with his family. As of today, Ryan is starting a difficult Chemo treatment called CCNU which may have some effect on the Cancer. We won’t know for at least 6 weeks.
In the meantime, the battle is on but we need all the help and assistance that we can possibly find. It’s why I’m writing to all of you to ask for your assistance. We thank everyone for all your support, prayers, acts of kindness and love over the last 18 months and once again ask you to keep Ryan in your prayers. I truly believe that this, along with many optional health supports, have kept Ryan going for the last 12+ years, fighting this disease. Even his doctors have said that they’ve never had anyone live as long as he has with a Brain Tumour and also stay as healthy as he is, so we know we have a very special support. I call Ryan my Miracle Man and I truly believe in Miracles. I know that Ryan still has so much to accomplish by sharing his experience with others to give them hope. His blog is amazing to read where you can see his spiritual growth over the last year and read about the lessons that he has learned about life and living here on earth. It is truly an inspiration to us all. His blog is http://www.ryanwesterman.blogspot.com/ Please feel free to pass this blogspot on and, if you wish, send him your own personal comments and words of support.
Along with your love and prayers, I’m also asking for your help in another way. Ryan has been getting wonderful optional weekly treatments with Chiropractic, Massage Therapy and Acupuncture for the last year which I believe is another reason for his overall good health. He is also following the Alkaline Food Program and using Immune Support Supplements. We are looking for all optional treatments and programs - medical, naturopathic, Eastern, spiritual etc. - that could also help. If you know of anything or anyone who may know about any options available or test study groups, I would greatly appreciate it if you could pass on Ryan’s physical details (to follow in this email) and have any information sent to me at the above email address. You may know someone, somewhere in the world who may know someone, somewhere with information. The more contacts we can reach, the better chance we have of finding something different that will help. I will then go through and edit out any duplications before sending them on to Tasha and Ryan. Please use “Ryan’s Path” as the subject matter in these emails so they are easily identified.
If you are connected to any Prayer Circles or a member of any Church, Spiritual or Religious organization, please share Ryan’s story and ask for help. We know that there are also Radio and Television programs that will include prayers for those like Ryan. In fact, as he went into his first surgery in 1997, his story had somehow found it’s way to a CBC Radio Spiritual program that broadcast across Canada and asked for prayers for Ryan….
…Ryan deserves to live – to be the loving husband that he is and the most amazing father to Talyn. Our family needs Ryan to survive. I need my Son. His Big Brothers need their Baby Brother. He has so much to offer to this world that we must give him every chance possible to stay with us for longer than a few months or a year or two.
We are begging for any help that anyone can give – no matter how little or how much.
I need my Boy.
Proud Mom, Jo-Ann
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