Our little warrior, Ryder, has been in and out of the hospital since he was born. He received an emergency blood transfusion when he was two weeks old and has been challenged with an uphill battle since. He was diagnosed with a rare blood disorder called hereditary spherocytosis, which is something he will have his whole life.

His red blood cells are misshaped and break down too quickly, which means when he is ill or has an infection, it often times can lead to him needing a blood transfusion. He has been kicking its butt and has only had to have one blood transfusion so far.

At five months old, Ryder also had to have surgery to correct pyloric stenosis. He was failing to thrive and had to have an NJ tube placed for several weeks and then an NG feeding tube. In addition, he has been faced with multiple GI issues and is on a very strict diet which eliminates dairy and gluten, and he follows the low FODMAP diet. He also has a history of neutropenia, and has a long list of specialists. He has been hospitalized several times at Children’s Hospital in DC, which is about two and half hours away from our home, with some of his hospitalizations being weeks at a time.

Ryder is now two years old and is thriving. His hospitalizations are getting less and less and he has continued to gain his strength and skills back through physical therapy and developmental therapy. The strides he has made in just less than two years are remarkable. He has beaten all the odds thrown at him and is truly a miracle baby.

“Real heroes live in the hearts of small children fighting big battles”

To learn more about Ryder and follow his journey, follow @kelsey__ward on Instagram!