A three-year-old Canmore child’s battle with cancer has ended and the community is coming together to help his family in their time of need after he passed away Tuesday evening (Jan. 24).
Ryan Carrington had been fighting for his life since he was born and diagnosed with laryngolamacia, infant reflux, severe eczema, food allergies and an inoperable brain stem tumour was found in July 2010.
After months of intensive chemotherapy treatments at Calgary’s Children’s Hospital, a recent MRI showed the tumour was rapidly growing and Ryan succumbed to his ailments on Tuesday (Jan. 24) at Rotary Flames House in Calgary.
“We were just trying to make every day as enjoyable and as comfortable as we could for Ryan. We wanted to spend quality time together to forget what’s been going on,” said his mother, Amanda Carrington.
Two weeks ago, the family travelled to Disney World for a week-long vacation provided through the Children’s Wish Foundation.
After being granted the wish, the family was back in Canmore and intent on continuing to make Ryan’s final moments the most comfortable.
For that reason, a fundraising campaigan was launched to raise $15,000 to offset the mounting costs of pain management medication and cancer treatment expenses, including multiple trips to Calgary.
“This has been such a difficult journey for our family, and the community support we’ve received along the way has made all the difference,” said Paul Carrington.
With Ryan’s passing, additional financial contributions from generous donors will now be used for funeral expenses and to cover the costs of his health and hospice care.
Interested individuals are invited to contribute online through a secured fundraising website called Hearts for Ryan at www.giveforward.com/heartsforryancancerfund, or they may send a cheque directly to Hearts for Ryan care of the Canmore Bank of Montreal, 701-Eight St., Canmore, T1W 2B2.
