Support for Ryan, Rachel and Oli

Dear Friends and Family,

In April our dearly loved Ryan Gaughan began to experience limb numbness. Within a few days he suddenly lost the ability to walk. EKG, CT Scan, MRI, and finally a spinal tap revealed his diagnosis, Guillain-Barré Syndrome or GBS, (pronounced Ghee-yan Bah-Ray). He was transported to Eugene Riverbend Hospital where a quick response by the amazing staff saved his life and partial mobility. He was given intravenous immunoglobulin therapy for four days then released home to recover…which may take months or years according to the neurologists.

GBS is a rare neurological disorder in which a person’s immune system mistakenly attacks part of their peripheral nervous system—the network of nerves that carry signals from the brain and spinal cord to the rest of the body. It can be debilitating and sometimes fatal.

Ryan is just now able to walk with a walker and needs assistance with stairs and showering. He has started PT for basic mobility, but is unable to drive or work at this time, or for the foreseeable future. Rachel has taken leave from her own work to be his full-time caretaker, with a lot of help from their sweet son Oli.

Many of you know Ryan and Rachel’s love story, but for those who don’t, these two were high school sweethearts and first loves. After decades apart, they were recently reunited and married last summer. We know their love and faith are strong enough to sustain them through this incredibly hard time, but they also need OUR love and support right now to help see them through.

Ryan is a police officer for the City of Toledo and very eager to return to work. Unfortunately the recovery from this serious syndrome is undetermined. In the meantime, home and medical bills are mounting. We started this GoFundMe to help the Gaughan family stay afloat during this difficult chapter. The situation is a big blow for this new little family we all cherish. We know demands on money and time are many, but any amount is a blessing, spreading the word and sharing this GoFundMe Iink far and wide is so helpful and your prayers, love and visits are life-saving.

Thank you for considering contributing to the Gaughan's journey to recovery. They are grateful beyond measure.