The Dublin community is invited to rally around the Comanche courthouse on Saturday, Sept. 25 in support of 5-year-old Dubliner Rylan Pruitt, who is battling a rare form of brain cancer.
The event will take place near the Stone Eagle beer garden in Comanche from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., and guests will be able to buy brisket and beer by the cup as well as bid on some great silent auction items.
“We’re trying to fill the square with cars and motorcycles,” said Rylan’s father, Mike Pruitt. Rylan is described by his dad as a “normal five-year-old boy” who loves Dublin, the fire department and Paw Patrol. He also loves cars and motorcycles so pictures and Facetime messages of vehicles filling the square will be sent to him for encouragement as he is starting chemotherapy this month..
Mike remembers being surprised by the diagnosis after Rylan fainted at day care and had to be taken to a hospital on May 26.
“He was just a happy, healthy 5-year-old boy,” he said.
“They found a five to 6 inch tumor on the fourth ventricle of his brain that was putting pressure on the brain stem,” Mike remembered. Cook Children’s Hospital diagnosed him with medulloblastoma and referred him to St. Jude’s in Memphis, Tennessee. St. Jude’s later diagnosed him with medullomyoblastoma, a rare form that has only had 50 cases reported worldwide. Fortunately, Dr. Gajar who is treating Rylan is renowned for treating patients with brain cancer.
On May 28, he had surgery to remove the tumor and just finished six weeks of radiation. The next step is a minimum of four months of chemotherapy, during which Rylan will have to stay at St. Jude’s. Mike and his wife, Lexi, were heading to Memphis to be with him this week as Rylan started the process.
Although St. Jude’s is providing everything the family needs on the medical front, the family will be facing financial stress. Mike and Marissa, Rylan’s mom, are taking turns staying with Rylan during his hospital stay. Mike will be missing many shifts as a paramedic so the benefit is being organized to help with lost wages, the cost of travel and meals while Rylan is working through chemo.
Mike said he is very grateful to the local community for gathering around the family in support, especially Danielle Meador at Wicked Clover who has already been selling t-shirts and bracelets to benefit the family.
“Thank you to the community for their love and support,” Mike said. “I’ve said thank you a million times and I can’t say it enough.”
Those wishing to follow Rylan’s progress can find it at “Rylan Strong, Team Beans” on Facebook. (Beans has been Mike’s nickname for Rylan since birth.)
Those wishing to donate or help with the benefit can call (325) 998-0377, (254) 577-1432 or (325) 642-6697.