Aldergrove family uplifted after father’s cancer diagnosis

Two months ago, Ryan Olson was spending his days off exactly the way he loved—on a mountain trail with his two kids, discovering new paths. But the 46-year-old Aldergrove father of two began feeling unusually tired, and when night sweats started, he knew something wasn’t right. After routine blood work, he received a call instructing him to go to the hospital immediately. At Abbotsford Regional Hospital, doctors confirmed he had leukemia, and it had already spread to his brain. Within hours, he was transferred by ambulance to Vancouver General Hospital, where treatment began the same day. Since then, life for the family has shifted entirely. To ease the growing financial pressure, Ryan’s sister Ashley Olson created a GoFundMe page. She said she didn’t have fundraising experience but knew the family needed help. “I just kind of heard of it and I started it,” she said. “It’s been really good, so far.” Ashley said that with Ryan now on short-term disability and preparing to switch to long-term disability — which she said will likely reduce their income — the donations are helping them cover their mortgage, groceries, child care, and other daily costs. “He’s really stressed about it,” Ashley said. “He knows he’s not going to be able to work for quite some time. Most likely he won’t be able to return to the job he’s had since he was right out of high school.” Ryan has spent the last couple of weeks moving between chemotherapy and weekly lumbar punctures as he prepares for a stem-cell transplant. His wife, Kelli, continues to work as an educational assistant in Langley while caring for their children, ages five and 10. She visits Ryan in the hospital whenever she can, while Ryan’s father has stepped in to help with appointments. For Ashley, the fundraiser is about giving her big brother space to focus on something other than bills. “I was just hoping to relieve some stress for him,” she said. Ashley said the family is grateful for the support they’ve received so far. “He’s a little bit overwhelmed by it,” actually, Ashley explained. “There are so many people donating and he doesn’t even know who some of them are. People who heard through friends or the community. He’s overwhelmed in a good way.” Ashley describes Ryan as someone who has always gravitated toward the outdoors and comes alive on a trail or a mountain side. She said they share a bond built on their love of the outdoors and cars. “He’s just a really good person,” his sister said. “I do see a lot of strength in him. His oncologist has been really hopeful. She thinks he’s going to beat this.” The hardest part, Ashley said, is seeing how the diagnosis impacts the kids. For those who can’t donate, she said sharing information about the fundraiser helps just as much. Right now, the family is taking things day by day, said Ashley. “Your kindness gives Ryan strength and reminds him he’s not fighting alone,” she wrote on the GoFundMe page. People interested in donating can search “Help for Ryan: A Father’s Fight Against Leukemia” or at gofundme.com/f/help-for-ryan-a-fathers-fight-against-leukemia.