06/07/2026
Update from her parents…..
We appreciate all the love, prayers, and support for our girl. 😭 These have truly been the scariest days of our lives.
First and foremost, Rylin is out of surgery! 🙌🏼 Everything went as well as it could have. She’s still very groggy, but she’s moving her arms and legs, making noises, and showing signs that she’s waking up. Now we wait and pray that everything looks good neurologically as she continues to recover.
Yesterday morning, Rylin woke up screaming in pain. We tried managing it with oxycodone, Tylenol, and hot packs, but by midday the pain had become unbearable. She was begging to go to the hospital, and if you know Rylin, you know that’s not something she says lightly.
I also noticed her right eye had become fixated. On the drive to WVU, she became increasingly lethargic. By the time we got to the ER, she was lying in bed unable to move, vomiting, and barely responsive. She had lost all movement and feeling on her left side and could no longer speak.
The scans showed that the tumor on the right side of her brain had grown nearly 10 times in size in just a matter of days. This is something the doctors rarely see and never expected to happen this quickly.
After discussions between the neurosurgeons and her team at MSK in NYC, it was decided that the best option was to perform an emergency craniotomy. It was an incredibly risky surgery, but without it, she would not have survived.
To make matters even more complicated, Rylin is currently neutropenic, meaning she has virtually no immune system. Her platelet counts were also dangerously low, requiring multiple transfusions before surgery. Without getting those numbers up, the risk of severe bleeding during surgery was extremely high.
Everything about this situation felt impossible. The odds were stacked against her, but somehow our brave girl made it through. ❤️
We will be in the ICU for a while as she recovers, and there are still many difficult conversations ahead. We now have to figure out what treatment options look like moving forward and whether there are options beyond simply buying more time. Those conversations are heartbreaking, but right now we’re focusing on one thing at a time and thanking God that she’s still here with us.
Rylin continues to amaze us with her strength. Watching her fight through everything she has endured is something I can’t even put into words. She is truly a miracle.
Please continue to pray for our sweet girl, for healing, for comfort, for recovery, and for a path forward. We need those prayers now more than ever. 🙏🏼❤️
