brooke's powerpoint about ryan
TRANSCRIPT
![Page 1: Brooke's Powerpoint about Ryan](https://reader036.vdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022081404/559dcead1a28ab64368b483e/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
This picture, taken before Ryan’s first Open Heart surgery, was just how his smiles lit up our whole family. I couldn’t have been more proud to become a “big sister”.
![Page 2: Brooke's Powerpoint about Ryan](https://reader036.vdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022081404/559dcead1a28ab64368b483e/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
My brother, Ryan, was 3 months old when he had his first Open-
Heart Surgery at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center. His
second surgery was in early December that same year, 2006.
![Page 3: Brooke's Powerpoint about Ryan](https://reader036.vdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022081404/559dcead1a28ab64368b483e/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
I don’t see these pictures so much as sad – but more of
them showing Ryan on the road to recovery…
![Page 4: Brooke's Powerpoint about Ryan](https://reader036.vdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022081404/559dcead1a28ab64368b483e/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
He was a baby recovering in a huge bed surrounded
by doctors and nurses watching his progress – and with
the comfort of toys I’d brought him.
![Page 5: Brooke's Powerpoint about Ryan](https://reader036.vdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022081404/559dcead1a28ab64368b483e/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
I didn’t know while my mother was pregnant, that my
parents already knew about Ryan’s heart condition. I was
told about it a few days before he was born, because it was
explained to me that he might not come home for a while if
he had to have his “broken heart” fixed first.
![Page 6: Brooke's Powerpoint about Ryan](https://reader036.vdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022081404/559dcead1a28ab64368b483e/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
This photo was taken only a few weeks after Ryan’s first
Open Heart Surgery, and he was happy and seemed
to be unaware of all the trauma he had been through.
![Page 7: Brooke's Powerpoint about Ryan](https://reader036.vdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022081404/559dcead1a28ab64368b483e/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
By July 4th, 2006, only about 6 weeks after his first
surgery, Ryan was all smiles for my Mom and ready
to drive.
![Page 8: Brooke's Powerpoint about Ryan](https://reader036.vdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022081404/559dcead1a28ab64368b483e/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
The first
Halloween
that Ryan
was old
enough to
walk, he was
ready to
show he
really was a
“Superman”.
![Page 9: Brooke's Powerpoint about Ryan](https://reader036.vdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022081404/559dcead1a28ab64368b483e/html5/thumbnails/9.jpg)
His scars are barely visible. There are two, big,
overlapping vertical ones and a few other scars from
the chest tubes he had during and after the surgeries.
![Page 10: Brooke's Powerpoint about Ryan](https://reader036.vdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022081404/559dcead1a28ab64368b483e/html5/thumbnails/10.jpg)
There
isn’t
anything
Ryan
doesn’t
want to
do.
![Page 11: Brooke's Powerpoint about Ryan](https://reader036.vdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022081404/559dcead1a28ab64368b483e/html5/thumbnails/11.jpg)
A few
years ago,
everything
was all
about
trucks and
army men.
Now it’s
PS3 and
Minecraft.
![Page 12: Brooke's Powerpoint about Ryan](https://reader036.vdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022081404/559dcead1a28ab64368b483e/html5/thumbnails/12.jpg)
Ryan is just like every other little boy – he’s
always “ready to roll”…
![Page 13: Brooke's Powerpoint about Ryan](https://reader036.vdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022081404/559dcead1a28ab64368b483e/html5/thumbnails/13.jpg)
… and the “life” of every party.
![Page 14: Brooke's Powerpoint about Ryan](https://reader036.vdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022081404/559dcead1a28ab64368b483e/html5/thumbnails/14.jpg)
I’m happy
to go
everywhere
with Ryan.
We have a
very strong bond.
![Page 15: Brooke's Powerpoint about Ryan](https://reader036.vdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022081404/559dcead1a28ab64368b483e/html5/thumbnails/15.jpg)
Ryan doesn’t
have ANY
restrictions
from sports or
other
activities.
This photo
was taken of
us at camp.
He does
everything
every child
should do
and enjoy.
![Page 16: Brooke's Powerpoint about Ryan](https://reader036.vdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022081404/559dcead1a28ab64368b483e/html5/thumbnails/16.jpg)
Through the
miracles of
surgery and
modern
medicine – and
also Ryan’s
determination,
he is dedicated
to taking part in
baseball…
![Page 17: Brooke's Powerpoint about Ryan](https://reader036.vdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022081404/559dcead1a28ab64368b483e/html5/thumbnails/17.jpg)
…and martial
arts. He’s getting
close to
becoming a
Black Belt and
already looking
forward to the
incredibly
difficult hike I just
took, because
I’m only weeks
away from
becoming one.
![Page 18: Brooke's Powerpoint about Ryan](https://reader036.vdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022081404/559dcead1a28ab64368b483e/html5/thumbnails/18.jpg)
It might be hard for
people to
understand just
how much I
appreciate my
brother and how
protective of him I
am. He means the
world to me. When
he’s next to me, I
feel wonderful.
![Page 19: Brooke's Powerpoint about Ryan](https://reader036.vdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022081404/559dcead1a28ab64368b483e/html5/thumbnails/19.jpg)
Once a year, Ryan goes into the city with my parents for a day of a
lot of medical tests. Once, he was even injected with a dye and put
into a machine he described as an “Avatar” machine, so that the
doctors could examine his lungs.
This picture is not
from his testing a
week ago (it’s from 2
years ago). A week
ago, he had his
annual exam, and
he and my parents
had blood samples
taken so that they
could take part in a
huge study of
families, so that
experts could try and
determine if
congenital heart
defects are genetic.
![Page 20: Brooke's Powerpoint about Ryan](https://reader036.vdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022081404/559dcead1a28ab64368b483e/html5/thumbnails/20.jpg)
My mother is a
journalist and owns
a newspaper. Every
year, in February,
she publishes an
article she wrote
called, “Born With A
Broken Heart”. It’s a
positive article
about our
experiences as a
family, and with tips
for families with
children suffering
from ailments, and
how they can make
it through tough
times.
![Page 21: Brooke's Powerpoint about Ryan](https://reader036.vdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022081404/559dcead1a28ab64368b483e/html5/thumbnails/21.jpg)
Ryan is handsome,
and active and
everyone who meets
him, loves him. He
has the sweetest
laugh, says the funniest things – and
even though he is
sometimes shy, once
he warms up to
someone, his whole
personality comes
out. He is the best
friend I could ever
ask for – and will always and forever, be my best friend.