Help Ryan evict his brain tumors

Friends, families, co-workers and giving newcomers----

We need your help.

My name is Ashley and I am posting this on behalf of my dear friend Ryan Russell. Ryan is a creative who works as a graphic designer and storyteller/screenwriter. To know Ryan is to love Ryan. He has a kind soul, a quick mind, and a heart filled with childlike wonderment. An empathy-driven, sometimes smartass, secret softy who will do anything to make someone smile in their time of need… Well right now, he needs us. After months of doctor appointments and tests, we’ve found out that Ryan needs to have immediate brain surgery. With the speedy thinking and help from friends at City of Hope, he has a surgery date scheduled for August 28th.

He has already experienced so much tragedy in his life, including childhood Leukemia (at 11 years old!). It was during this time that Ryan really found his love for the arts. He spent his time drawing, reading, and writing to help pass the time. This became his outlet and eventually turned into his career. In the last decade he tragically lost his brother and his father. Only to once again be dealt another blow, this time in the form of twin brain tumors.

Ryan and I bonded immediately over being “cancer buddies”, we were both young when we were sick, our diagnosis dates are close to each other, etc. When things get hard, we simply remind each other that we beat cancer, we can do ANYTHING! Just this time he’s going to need a little help from his friends. Being a survivor myself and having had brain surgery, I know firsthand that surgery/removal is only the beginning. So after he received these devastating diagnoses, I wanted to launch a fundraiser to help Ryan get the aid he needs to deal with what will be not one – but likely two – brain surgeries, as well as the lengthy and debilitating road to recovery. All funds raised will go to help cover surgery/medical costs, recovery, and living expenses.

The tumors are applying pressure to Ryan’s brain in such a way that not only damages his memory, but also makes it difficult for him to focus enough to write and create. They are also causing seizures, sometimes multiple times a day, so time is of the essence here. He feels that his love of creating is the very reason he’s still on this earth. And those abilities are being slowly taken away from him. We cannot allow this. He’s lost far too much already.

We graciously ask for your generosity and support. Please donate and share this page to your socials, to your own friends, family, co-workers and strangers. Let’s get Ryan back to creating. To making his art. Let’s help him get back to telling his stories.

Thank you in advance,

Ashley Largey