Instead of the normal two- to three-day stay in SICU (Surgical Intensive Care Unit), Ryan's stay was almost two months. During that time, he had multiple surgeries on his brain. Around 6:00 p.m. on Labor Day, his parents were called in to meet with doctors who told them that Ryan only had about six hours to live. As an option, they performed a very risky surgery to try to save his life, but there were complications.
 

A multitude of other procedures were performed on Ryan, and as a result, he ended up with three shunt systems installed in his brain to allow spinal fluid to flow into his abdomen. He had lost the ability to speak or swallow without choking, suffered substantial loss of vision, and could only move the index finger on his right hand. At that point, his only communication was thru finger tapping - one tap for "Yes" & two taps for "No."