Looking at 7-year-old Ryan Compton, one would never imagine that this energetic little boy with an eagerness to explore his surroundings has had to fight for his life at his young age.
He and his parents, Maggie and Jason Compton, along with his siblings, Teresa, Jasmine, Manny and Nicolas have been attending Camp Ronald McDonald for Good Times since April 2007—the family arrived at Camp one month after Ryan was diagnosed with Leukemia.
Two years have passed since Ryan completed treatment; today he is at low-risk of relapsing and completely off all medication. Still, they continue to attend Camp and describe the experience as the family reunion they all look forward to. When asked what he enjoys most about Camp, Ryan exclaims, “FISHING!” To this his mother adds, “He’s obsessed with the fishing pond.”
Ryan loves socializing, enjoys school and recently participated in his first spelling bee. The family is extremely grateful that Ryan is doing so well. Although they continue to live through the effects that cancer brought to their family, they don’t shy away from sharing their experience because they know that by doing so, they are able to help other families that are living through a similar situation.