Ryan's Story
February 2013
In February 2013, Ryan was diagnosed with a Grade 4 Arteriovenous Malformation (AVM) in his brain. At the time, he was experiencing debilitating headaches and visual disturbances. Initially, doctors advised against any treatment, stating that the risks of removing the AVM were too high, and suggested that Ryan simply "live his life" with the condition.
However, in September 2014, Ryan suffered a minor brain hemorrhage, which, fortunately, he recovered from completely. After this event, doctors reconsidered their initial stance, recognizing that the AVM was unstable and posed an ongoing threat to his health. This marked the beginning of an intensive search for treatment options. After consulting with specialists across the country, Ryan’s family found a team of doctors at Memorial Hermann in Houston who believed they could safely remove the AVM.
Ryan's AVM was particularly dangerous due to its complexity—it contained over seven aneurysms, which made the procedure especially risky. The AVM was putting him at constant risk for headaches, seizures, spontaneous bleeding, and the potential for a life-threatening stroke. Despite the risks, Ryan's family decided to move forward with treatment. However, complications arose during the first embolization procedure, resulting in a massive brain hemorrhage.
After a difficult recovery, Ryan underwent a second surgery, but only part of the AVM could be removed. Following six weeks in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), Ryan was transferred to TIRR Memorial Hermann for intensive inpatient rehabilitation, where he spent another six weeks. Ryan's journey didn’t end there; it would take two more surgeries and additional embolizations before doctors were able to fully remove the AVM. By February 2019, Ryan was officially AVM-free.
Today, Ryan is still recovering. He is working at Woodforest Golf Club in Montgomery, TX on the golf range. He has received several treatments of stem cells and periodically attends therapy sessions at TIRR in The Woodlands, TX. His journey has not only been one of medical resilience but also of hope and determination.