Who is Ryder?
Ryder was born with Neurofibromatosis (NF) which causes tumors to grow anywhere throughout the body at any time. At age 3 doctors found tumors in his brain and optical nerves that rendered him blind. He endured 15 months of chemotherapy to try and stop the growth of the tumors. Despite all of this, Ryder has maintained an infectious sense of humor. His escape has been rock music. Ryder has continued to learn new things and is teaching others new things its amazing how much a 6 yr old can inpact the way you think. He has taught me how to see with my heart and not my eyes and not take things so seriously in life. Ryder is an amazing kid.
What is NF?
​Neurofibromas, the most common tumors in NF, are benign growths which typically develop on or just underneath the surface of the skin but may also occur in deeper areas of the body. Neurofibromas, which are composed of tissue from the nervous system (neuro) and fibrous tissue (fibroma), usually develop around puberty although they may appear at any age. The tumors are not contagious. Nodule-like surface tumors are known as dermal neurofibromas. Plexiform neurofibromas grow diffusely under the skin surface or in deeper areas of the body.
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