It began when I was in North Wales Elementary School. Thousands of juice bags were thrown away daily. This inspired me to research and find a company willing to recycle if I collected them. My gifted teacher helped get permission from the school. Making collection bins with friends for the cafeteria and teacher lunch rooms, along with many posters to hang was the easy part. Teaching, encouraging and supporting my peers to keep our planet clean was the hard part. We were exceptionally successful. Leaning leadership at a young age impelled me to help the program remain. it is in place to this day.
The outcome of that project motivated me to research topics which inspired me to absorb information and share it. Future collaborations helped me and my Kinex team win a bridge building competition; i was able to get my community center to start the chess club; my church to create a giving tree where together hard enough to repeatedly win the District First Aid trophy. Individuals working together always accomplish a greater goal! We expand community by example. These accomplishments taught me perseverance, communication, and the confidence to connect with others.
In 9th grade I was diagnosed with a life threatening inoperable malignant brain tumor. At fourteen you don’t think anything will happen to you. Inpatient at CHOP I met many nurses, doctors, therapists, and social workers. It was the biggest collaboration of educated, learned minds I had witnessed. I was part of that team. explaining it all to me in conversations and including me in decision making. My best weapon was myself, becoming an informed fighter to obtain survivorship. I was amazed with each doctor’s expertise yet their knowledge was more powerful when united. Positivity through treatments, hope for good news after tests, smiling in adversity became my new normal. I learned bravery.
I told my parents I wanted to host a blood drive and the entire town showed up. We had to add a second collection day. My classmates wanted to help so I designed & sold TEAM RYAN wristbands to raise money for childhood cancer. A drone flew overhead capturing the entire school population with arms raised wearing the bland and signs that said, “No one fights Alone.” Watching this video in the hospital, tears fell as I realized the time I had given to friends, family,and community was returned to me in my darkest hour. Luckily I achieved remission and post treatment recruited many to join TEAM RYAN for CHOP’s Parkway fundraising walk. We have raised $20,000 for childhood cancer over the past several years. My community and I, 300 strong raising funds donated to children fighting cancer taught me usefulness and trust. The experiences I have had taught me to have integrity. Giving back is its own reward!
~~Ryan Matthew Naulty