My Why: I’m Walking for Ryan 🧩💚
One and a half years ago, our family sat in a developmental pediatrician’s office, holding our breath as our 3.5-year-old son, Ryan, was evaluated. We had spent months noticing signs, advocating, making phone calls, and sitting on waitlists—hoping for answers, yet terrified of them at the same time. When the doctor diagnosed Ryan with Level 2 Autism, my heart shattered. Even though I had suspected it, hearing it out loud was overwhelming. It validated everything we had noticed, but it also made the road ahead feel long, uncertain, and frightening.
But Ryan is a fighter.
From that day on, we committed ourselves to early intervention—speech therapy, occupational therapy, outpatient services, and eventually ABA support both at home and school. At one point, Ryan attended therapy six times a week. We rearranged our lives, made countless calls, and pushed for every resource we could find. And slowly, beautifully, the progress came.
📈 One year later, Ryan is thriving.
• He no longer qualifies for speech therapy — a milestone we once thought was years away.
• He plays with his sister and neighborhood friends and recently began imaginary play, which is huge for him.
• He can dress himself, help with chores, follow routines, and is fully potty trained (even overnight!).
• He met his gross motor OT goals and is now building his fine motor skills.
• With ABA support, he’s learning how to manage big emotions, stay focused in school, and build life safety and social skills that will help him for the rest of his life.
Ryan still faces challenges every single day. Meltdowns, rigid behaviors, and emotional regulation are hard for him. The world can feel overwhelming, loud, and unpredictable. And yet—he keeps trying. He keeps showing up. He works harder than most people will ever realize just to navigate what many take for granted.
Our life doesn’t look the way we once imagined, but it is beautiful—messy, exhausting, beautiful. Ryan has taught us resilience, patience, empathy, and the true meaning of unconditional love. We will never stop fighting for him, advocating for him, and celebrating the incredible little boy he is.
This is why I registered for the Eagles Autism Challenge.
To support the research, services, and resources that help kids like Ryan continue to grow, learn, and thrive. Programs funded by this event have made a direct impact on families like ours—and your support truly matters.
Every donation helps. Every share helps. Every step we take on race day is for him.
Thank you for supporting Ryan, our family, and the entire autism community.
💚🧩 Let’s do this for our boy.
