Ryan's Reach-Pat Boone's Grandson
"Ryan fell through a skylight located at the top of his three-story apartment building in Brentwood, California on June 19, 2001. He landed on concrete and was rushed to the UCLA Medical Center in Westwood. He was in extremely critical condition when he arrived with multiple internal injuries, severe internal bleeding, multiple brain injuries and was not able to breathe on his own. The doctors did not expect him to live.
Over the course of the first week in the Intensive Care Unit, it looked as if we would lose him. He was in a deep coma, his blood was not coagulating, he was on maximum ventilator support, he had to have his spleen removed, and he was unresponsive to outside stimulation. For our family, it was the toughest week of our lives.
For weeks, his blood pressure, heart rate and body temperature were very unstable. In addition to having his spleen removed, he had four surgeries performed while at UCLA Medical Center – a tracheostomy, a surgically implanted feeding tube, surgery on his sinus cavity, and surgery to repair his jaw which was fractured in two places and broken in two other places. He developed pneumonia and began “storming” – a result of his brain injury whereby he would sweat profusely, grind his teeth, have wild fluctuations in his body temperature, become very rigid in his upper extremities, and experience a very rapid heartbeat and respiratory rate. Each day tested our family’s faith in ways it had never been tested before.
But then, Ryan began making progress. His kidneys, once on the verge of needing dialysis, returned to normal. His liver, which took a severe impact from the fall, recovered quicker than anyone had hoped, He was successfully weaned off of the ventilator and began breathing on his own. His internal bleeding stopped and he recovered from his surgeries. In short, Ryan made enough progress at UCLA Medical Center to be discharged on July 31, 2001.
Ryan was moved to a “sub-acute” facility in Orange County, California that we believed, at the time, would be able to care for Ryan’s needs. Unfortunately, Ryan was not ready to be out of the hospital. On August 11, 2001, Ryan went into a very severe “storming” session where he became extremely dehydrated and his body temperature soared to 106.5. He was rushed in the middle of the night to a local hospital in Orange County where the doctors were able to successfully hydrate him and stabilize his body temperature. Their quick and appropriate actions very likely saved Ryan’s life a second time.
In total, Ryan has been treated in six different medical facilities since the accident. He has gone through specialized programs such as coma stimulation and hyperbaric oxygen therapy, as well as an ongoing program of physical, occupational, and speech therapies. Our family owes a tremendous debt of gratitude to the following medical facilities and their staffs, who not only contributed to saving Ryan’s life, but has helped him grow and develop beyond anyone’s highest expectations. We wish to thank:
• UCLA Medical Center
• Integrated Health Services
• St. Jude’s Medical Center
• Chapman General Hospital
• Mission Hospital
• Long Beach Memorial Hospital
• Care Meridian
Today, Ryan lives at home with his mom, Lindy, step dad, Mike, and brother, Tyler in Coto de Caza, California. He is alert and happy. He can talk, sing, and answer simple questions. He recognizes family and friends. He is eating very well and is beginning to feed himself. He continues to require 24 hour a day care and is not able to walk, although we have started to see movement in his legs recently. Ryan has come a long way but still has a long way to go.
As we move on through this journey of faith, it is important for you to know that your thoughts and prayers have been, and will continue to be, a tremendous source of comfort and support for us. God is doing a mighty work in Ryan. He has heard your prayers and those of thousands of others around the world. And though this journey is far from over, we have the confidence that our Lord will continue to work in Ryan’s life . . . day by day, moment by moment, until that day when Ryan can personally thank you for your love, faith and support. On behalf of our family, please continue to pray for Ryan and God bless you."