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Our Kids - Meet Ryan

As a fierce athlete, Ryan refused to let anything get in the way of his downhill skiing - not even an aggressive form of cancer.

Ryan

Ryan, Ewing's Sarcoma

As a member of his high school's elite athletics program, the last thing Ryan expected to be was a teenage cancer patient. Ryan is a star athlete who dreams of success in various sports. He is an accomplished downhill skier, competing in races for the last few years.

At the age of 14, after finishing a disappointing ski race, Ryan felt that something wasn't right. He experienced pain and constrictions in his chest and a racing heart. The initial diagnosis at another Toronto-area hospital showed a benign tumour. However, doctors soon realized that the situation was much more complicated.

The diagnosis was a round cell sarcoma of undetermined histogenesis, which means that the source of the tumour could not be determined. Because of this, doctors classified his case as a rare tumour that could probably be best treated as a bone tumour known as Ewing's Sarcoma. The tests showed that there was a mass on his sixth and seventh ribs and a growth the size of a golf ball on his chest. Six inches of his ribs were removed and replaced with a Kevlar sheath for protection and he had an operation to remove the malignant tumour.

Ryan came to SickKids in April 2005 to start his cancer treatments. Seventeen rounds of chemotherapy and 31 radiation sessions were prescribed in order to beat the disease. Tumours associated with Ewing's sarcoma occur primarily in bones and soft tissues. Unfortunately, Ewing's family of tumours are most often found in teenagers.

After finishing his chemotherapy sessions in the spring of 2006, Ryan thought that he could return to school to finish his first year of high school. In a follow-up appointment two weeks after his last chemotherapy session, an MRI revealed another tumour - this time on his right lung. There was also indication that his two ribs on the right side of his chest were diseased.  Due to the aggressive nature of Ryan's cancer, it was decided that an equally aggressive approach was required to treat it. 

At the beginning of May, Ryan underwent an eight-hour surgery to remove four complete ribs on his right side, which included the two infected and the two surrounding ribs for added precaution. Thankfully, subsequent tests indicated that the tumours were benign.  Ryan is recovering well. He was able to finish Grade 9 and looked forward to a summer of camping, traveling, and catching up with his family and friends.

Many would think that Ryan would put his athletic pursuits on hold while focusing on beating the biggest obstacle he's ever faced. However, throughout his cancer ordeal, Ryan still managed to keep in shape by continuing to train for various downhill ski competitions while undergoing more chemotherapy and radiation sessions. His positive attitude and determination in everything he does have helped him fight his battle against cancer.

HOW CAN YOU HELP? Thousands of children like Ryan need your support.