Despite his incredible resilience, Ryder now faces a different kind of challenge: the cruelty of others. Children and even adults sometimes react harshly to his appearance.
“When we go to the park, there’s a child who points and screams ‘monster’ at him before running away,” his mother Brittany Wells told The Mirror.
“Out shopping the other day, someone shouted ‘ew’ at him. It’s hard and it breaks my heart as a parent that after everything he’s been through, people aren’t always kind over something he can’t help. But he is such a fighter, he doesn’t let anything hold him back.”
Ryder’s survival is nothing short of a miracle. Yet, as Brittany prepares for him to start school, her fear grows.
“He wears glasses and a cap and sometimes he’ll hang his head to hide his face. But I just tell him every day that he’s beautiful. Different is beautiful, and it’s okay to be different. I reassure him as much as I can, but I’m absolutely terrified about when he goes to school. There will always be a couple of kids who aren’t kind.”
Brittany hopes Ryder’s story will raise awareness about the effects of bullying on children with facial differences. She wants to teach others—both children and adults—that kindness matters, that appearances should never be a reason for cruelty, and that everyone deserves to live a happy, confident life.
Ryder’s courage is an example to all. His resilience shows that even after unimaginable hardship, a child can still shine—both inside and out.