Our Story

Our little ray of sunshine

Ryan Martz was born to Cliff and Arlene in December of 2008. He became the world to his big brother Devon, who in turn became Ryan’s hero. Ryan was born with a rare congenital disorder known as Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum.

Despite his challenges, Ryan always had a twinkle in his eye and an infectious smile on his face. Ryan’s love was pure and he brought joy into the lives of everyone he encountered. Ryan had a great love for the sun and he could always be found wherever the sun was shining the brightest.

While Ryan had the privilege of benefiting from inclusive education, we soon realized that his classmates benefited just as much by having him in the classroom. Though Ryan never spoke a word, he taught us important lessons about love and compassion, and how a bright smile and contagious laugh can light up your day.

Ryan left us in March 2016 at the age of seven to take his place in his heavenly home. Our hope is that through Ryan’s Rays, we can shine hope and light on other children living with disabilities so they too can change the world.