Ryan Darby

The 2010 Patient Hero for the Bobby Mitchell AutoTrader.com Hall of Fame Golf Classic is six year old Ryan Darby. Ryan was diagnosed with Pre-curser B, Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia on December 23, 2009.

Ryan is the middle child of three boys—small in stature, yet larger than life in personality! He loves playing football and golf with his older brother Brennan, 10, and his younger brother Sean, 4. His parents, Chris and Mollie Darby, were both born and raised in Bethesda and have lots of extended family in the Washington area.

Ryan was just a first grader at St. Jane DeChantal School in Bethesda when he was diagnosed with leukemia. What his parents originally thought was a simple leg injury from playing football with his brothers eventually turned into pain that prevented Ryan from being able to sleep one night. His parents quickly decided they needed to figure out what was happening with Ryan.

After some suspicious blood work results, Ryan's family was sent to Georgetown University Hospital for further testing and eventually ended up in the hands of Dr. Shad, Chief of the Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology at the hospital. After a bone marrow biopsy on December 23, it became clear that Ryan had been feeling so poorly because he had leukemia.

"We cannot do justice to the degree of compassion and concern the doctors, nurses and staff at Georgetown demonstrated in delivering this news to us and Ryan. Every step of the way they have been honest, supportive, compassionate and ever-present," says Mollie, Ryan's mother.

While most families were gathering for the holidays, the Darby family was at the hospital taking in the news of Ryan's diagnosis and preparing for treatment. Fortunately, many local family members and friends swooped in and surrounded Ryan and his family with the love and support they needed.

Ryan responded well to treatments and is currently in remission. His beating this disease will be in no small part due to the scientific breakthroughs and successes made in treating pediatric leukemia over the past 20 years.