News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
About a month ago, 16-year-old Ryan Godden started coughing up blood.
After two trips to the emergency room, his family was assured that he had pneumonia and would get better. But he didn't. The bleeding got worse. Ryan was transported back to the hospital via Sisters ambulance and admitted for testing.
According to his mother, Nikki Godden, doctors determined that he was suffering from a rare episode of pulmonary bleeding, cause unknown.
"It just occurred out of the blue," Nikki told The Nugget. "He's been very, very healthy. I was told another day or two and he would have bled to death."
After two weeks of chemotherapy in the intensive care unit at St. Charles Medical Center, Ryan's condition has stabilized. His mother reported that he returned home Sunday night.
But Ryan's trials are not over. It will take some time to recover from the effects of the illness and its treatment and there is some uncertainty about future effects.
"Now they're telling us that we need to see a specialist in Portland when he gets out," Nikki said.
Ryan's spirits are "getting better," Nikki said, "but (he's) pretty scared. You can tell there's some depression there."
The financial impact of the crisis is only beginning to be felt.
"We do have insurance," Nikki said. "But I don't have a clue what's covered and what's not. We haven't gone there yet. I've been out of work for two weeks, too."
Visits to specialists will likely keep her out of work at times in coming weeks.
To help defray costs, friends have set up an account for local donations in Ryan Godden's name at South Valley Bank & Trust. For more information on the account, contact Deri Frazee at 549-1722 or Mary Ann Barker at 549-1275.
Nikki stayed at the Ronald McDonald House adjacent to the hospital for the past two weeks.
"My church (Sisters Community Church) has sent me a meal every day that we just have to heat up," Nikki said, noting that she is thankful for the support she has received.
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
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