RisingFaith
Nine surgeries before his thirteenth birthday. Still showing up.
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Nine surgeries before his thirteenth birthday. Still showing up.
Some kids are born into a world that wasn't built for them.
Ryle is building his own.
A sixth grader from Dallas who builds Lego kingdoms, codes his own games, designs shoes that don't exist yet — and plays wheelchair basketball like he has something to prove. Because he does.
The family that drove to every surgery at 4 a.m., never once said “maybe next year,” and lets Panda the cat sleep on Ryle's wheelchair. His parents, his sisters Ava and Abigail — they're the reason any of this is possible.
Mother & Son
Father & Son
The Family
Before the arena, before the medals — there was a little boy with a top knot, a big smile, and an even bigger spirit.
Same kid. Bigger dreams.
When he's not on the court, Ryle builds. Lego cities that take over the dining table. Minecraft worlds with their own economies. Code that does what he tells it to. He's been ordering omakase since he was five — and yes, he has opinions about rice.
Car enthusiast too
Builder of code
The Fight
Spina bifida doesn't announce itself gently. It shows up at birth and never leaves. For Ryle, that's meant nine surgeries before his thirteenth birthday.
Mom never left his side
The Road Back
Post-surgery recovery
Comfort in hard moments
Learning to walk again
Each step, his own
Standing. On his own two feet.
Spina bifida shows up at birth and stays forever. Lifetime cost of care: $790,000. But the thing about Ryle — he's never once calculated the cost of quitting.
The Comeback
Ryle, age 12
“My favorite part is the teamwork — if we use teamwork, we are able to win lots of games.”
The Team
Game Day
Not Just Basketball
Thanks to Kidd's Kids, Ryle flew to Walt Disney World on a Southwest charter — met the pilots on the tarmac, and landed in the most magical place on Earth.
Then came the Tron Lightcycle Run — the fastest ride in all of Disney. Ryle was terrified. Heart pounding. Hands shaking.
He rode it anyway.
“It was scary. But it was worth it. I conquered my fear.”
Characters, Rides & Magic
No one does this alone. The coaches who stay late. The church family that showed up at surgery #6 with tacos. The teammates who never once went easy on him — because he'd never forgive them if they did.
“Making me try harder and helping me get better every day.”
First Place — Kidnetic Games
Eyes on the future
Every surgery had someone in the waiting room. Every game had someone in the stands. Every hard morning had someone who said “get up — you've got this.”
That someone could be you.
He reads every single one.
