They knew it was the Ry-ght thing to do. A celebrated society exclusive to people named Ryan sprung into action upon learning that a baby of the same name needed money for a life-changing operation. In a little less than an hour, the viral nationwide Ryan Meetup group — which threw a huge, regional bash in Brooklyn last year — met the fundraising goals for two-month-old Ryan, a Kenyan boy suffering from the severe neurological issue of hydrocephalus.
It all began when 50-year-old Ryan Ressler of Leawood, Kansas was made aware earlier this month of the child’s condition, which causes developmental issues from excessive brain fluid. He learned of it through the crowdfunding program Watsi, to which Ressler is a regular contributor. The site detailed that little Ryan’s condition will make him “experience severe physical and developmental delays” if not for a surgery that would “greatly improve his quality of life.
” “With proper treatment, Ryan will, hopefully, develop into a strong, healthy young boy,” the fundraising page read. Due to the attention needed for Ryan’s condition, his single mother can’t work and their family relies on the baby’s grandfather, who loads sand onto trucks for a living. Ressler, a creative director and avid “enthusiast” of the Ryan page, said that when Watsi emailed him that this baby needed the public’s aid, he knew what must be done.
“I emailed the Ryan meet up — ‘hey, here’s a little Ryan that needs our help,�.