Ryan House to Host 10th Anniversary Breakfast Fundraiser Virtually

Ryan House, a home built to provide respite, palliative and end-of-life care for children, is kicking off its annual community breakfast fundraiser online on Aug. 28.

The breakfast is scheduled for 9 a.m. and requires those interested in attending to sign up online in order to receive the invitation link.

Ryan House will also be celebrating its 10th anniversary during the event, which will be hosted online by Mark Curtis and Lin Sue Cooney.

The breakfast is completely free of charge, but donations are welcome, as the home is 100% dependent on charitable donations for its financing.

Ryan House is a 12,500-square-foot house located on Central Avenue and Thomas Road in Phoenix.

“We provide respite palliative and hospice care to kids with life-limiting illnesses, so these are kids who have a diagnosis and are not expected to live into adulthood,” executive director Tracy Leonard-Warner said.

“Imagine how traumatizing that is and stressful for a family. Our goal is to provide comfort and support to these kids and to their families.”

Through respite care, Ryan House is able to provide kids up to 28 days a year — split into small stays — while also providing parents or caregivers a break.

“These are families who basically have become the nursing staff for their kids because of these medical needs and it is 24/7 care, so they come and do overnight stays with us,” Leonard-Warner said.

“Our house, I always joke, is a combination of grandma’s house, summer camp and Disneyland, so the kids come and have a great time while their families get a break.”

The medical diagnosis of the children at Ryan House can be quite somber, which Leonard-Warner said requires a special person in order to “walk this path with these families every day.”

But that doesn’t mean there aren’t tears of joy and laughter shared among those at the home. In fact, Ryan House presents a unique opportunity for some kids.

“There are always some kind of shenanigans happening at the house, whether that’s wheelchair races or dance parties or occasionally a pinata being hung from the light fixtures,” Leonard-Warner said.

“There’s always fun happening in the house and it really is an opportunity for some of our kids to do things for the very first time. We have an inside swimming pool and a handicap-accessible playground, so some of these kids get to do things here that they’ve never done before.”

Click here to learn more about Ryan House.