About Me

Hi, my name is Ryan Tannor, I’m 17 years old and live in Melville, New York. I’m a typical teen, who loves the NY Mets, Islanders, video games, and Legos. I created this fundraiser because on October 16, 2025 my life changed forever. I was diagnosed with Pediatric Rhabdomyosarcoma. It was the worst news I could have received because at only 16 that meant I had to grow up, and fast.

My family and I had to tackle this immediately. After I found out my devastating diagnosis, I was referred to Memorial Sloan Kettering’s Pediatric Sarcoma Oncologist, Dr. Leonard Wexler (aka Lenny). Lenny is the kindest, calmest, most heartfelt doctor I have ever met. While he explained in detail the extent of my cancer, my head was spinning. The word cancer didn't sit right with me, I couldn't believe it. Throughout the entire first week after being diagnosed I went through countless amounts of tests and scans to find out the stage and to figure out what my course of treatment would be. Thankfully, it had not metastasized and had only spread to a localized lymph node. But I did learn that of the possible 2 types of rhabdomyosarcoma it could be, I had alveolar, which is a more aggressive form of the tumor. As I heard this news I became shell shocked I couldn't imagine how horrible this would be for me and my family. After all these tests I met with Dr. Wexler once more and he gave me the roadmap to my recovery. In one week I learned more about cancer and medical things than anyone should have to learn in their lifetime, unless they want to become a doctor.

Week one consisted of visiting a sperm bank so I could store my future children, because the chemotherapy might make me sterile. I had to have a biopsy on my tumor so they could classify what type of cancer it is. My course of treatment involved having a port surgically implanted in my chest so I could receive my chemotherapy treatments. Plus, it is easier to draw blood that way. And exactly one week from diagnosis I started my first round of chemotherapy.

My chemotherapy consists of three different types; Vincristine, Dactinomycin and Cyclophosphamide. Chemo is on three week cycles - Week 1, I receive all three. Week 2 and Week 3 I receive only Vincristine, and then the cycle starts over. This will go on for 42 weeks, from October 2025 to the end of July 2026. My entire Junior year of high school, where I should be planning for my future, has now become weekly chemo treatments.  In January I had to meet with the Pediatric Radiologist Oncologist to discuss what type of radiation I would be getting concurrently with my chemo. I would be getting 6 weeks of proton radiation. For this I would be coming into Manhattan 5 days a week. Arranging weekly chemo and daily radiation appointments around school, my extracurriculars, my parents work schedule and my sister’s activities was quite challenging but with the help of family and friends we got through it.