Ryan Lomax

Help Ryan get an accessible van after losing his ability to walk.

“Transverse Myelitis” the doctor said. We had never heard of it but suddenly it was the only thing on our minds. Transverse Myelitis, a rare neurological disorder, is an inflammation of both sides of a section of the spinal cord. It interrupts the messages that the spinal cord nerves send throughout the body. This can cause pain, muscle weakness, paralysis, sensory problems and bladder and bowel dysfunction.

Ryan is my husband, a 38 year old nature photographer, hiker, dog dad and all around great guy. In January of 2023 he began stumbling when he was walking. He asked me to check the stairs on the porch because he thought they might be coming loose. I checked them and they were as sturdy as ever. Besides the stumbling he began to find it difficult the manipulate the buttons on his camera and his phone. These symptoms rapidly increased to him falling and not being able to get up as well has his hands becoming numb and far less useful than they had ever been.

We went to the emergency room and they did test after test, MRIs, CT scans, spinal taps. He stayed in the hospital from February 15th until April 11th.
He lost his ability to walk. Even the simple act of standing on this own two feet became impossible. Ryan requires 24/7 care now as he needs assistance with many of the daily activities that we all take for granted. Ryan needs help getting dressed, going to the bathroom, even just moving his legs in his bed takes assistance.

Ryan is now in a wheelchair. He has regained some of his hand dexterity but still experiences numbness in his limbs.
He has many appointments to get to from the neurologists to primary care physician, to physical and occupational therapy.

Traveling is very taxing on his body as transferring from his wheelchair into the car and back takes so much energy for him that he’s exhausted by the time he gets to his appointments.
Ryan is fundraising to help purchase a wheelchair accessible van so his trips into the community aren’t so difficult on his body and spirit.
We had always thought that a wheelchair van was just a van that had a ramp bolted to it. It turns out that converting a van is extremely expensive and even a used van can cost $45,000 to $50,000 or more.

Please donate to Help Hope Live in Ryan’s honor today. Please share his story with your friends and family, too. We would love to plan some fundraisers in his honor as well. If that’s something you can help with please contact me at [email protected].

Thank you so much,
Damon and Ryan Lomax

Family and friends of Ryan Lomax are raising money for the nonprofit Help Hope Live to fund uninsured medical expenses associated with Catastrophic Illness.

Ryan has chosen to fundraise for Help Hope Live in part because Help Hope Live assures fiscal accountability of funds raised and tax deductibility for contributors. Contributors can be sure donations will be used to pay or reimburse medical and related expenses. To make a tax-deductible donation to this fundraising campaign, click on the Give button.

For more information, please contact Help Hope Live at 800.642.8399.

Thank you for your support!