Meet Ryder
Ryder is all about hockey – from playing with his hockey team in Drayton Valley, to cheering for the Edmonton Oilers. Thanks to the expert care he received at the Stollery Children’s Hospital, Ryder gets to eat chicken wings to his heart’s content.
Donate in Ryder's honour
From the day Ryder was born, his mom knew something wasn’t right. When he was just 10 days old, his parents took him to his local emergency department after his stomach seemed abnormally large, and he was vomiting yellow bile. After multiple tests, Ryder was transferred to the Stollery via ambulance where experts discovered a mass in his stomach that was disrupting normal functions in his body and blocking his bile duct.
What looked like a cyst turned out to be a second stomach. His second stomach was attached to his intestines and was interfering with the function of his vital organs. Ryder needed emergency surgery to remove it as well as some of his intestines, which had to be reconstructed. He spent a week in a coma to allow his body to fully heal, followed by a few more weeks in the neonatal intensive care unit to completely recover.
Thanks to the specialized care Ryder received at the Stollery, he made a full recovery and has a dedicated medical team to support him when needed. Ryder’s story speaks to the life-saving work done at the Stollery and the donor support that helps provide innovative care for kids like him.
Today, Ryder’s a thriving teenager who is grateful for the Hospital and the people who helped him through his medical challenges. His parents are grateful for the care their son received and thankful to have a world-class hospital in their backyard for whenever families across Alberta need it.
As Ryder looks forward to the future, his sense of humour and love of life are ever-present. “I love chicken wings,” he says with a smile, “and I’m so glad I can still eat as many as I want, thanks to the Stollery!”
