Ryan Dant of Carrollton has been an active member of the community his entire life. However, Ryan has lived a more difficult life due to an extremely rare disorder called Mucopolysachariodsis or MPS-1. The disorder is a genetic disease where the body is incapable of producing an important enzyme. Ryan was one of 40 children in the United States born each year with this disease which is nearly always fatal.
Ryan, however, is a unique case, who with help from medical innovation and love from his family has been able to live a healthier life beyond expectations. As a result, Ryan has become an active member of the community seizing every opportunity available to him. As an example, Ryan, who loves sports, is an equipment manager for the Southern Methodist University Football Team. He travels with the team, and recently assisted the Ponies on their 43-10 victory over Fresno State at the Hawaii Bowl.
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The Ryan Foundation
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Ryan’s father, Carrollton Assistant Police Chief Mark Dant, has been a pivotal figure in his son’s treatment and the medical studies of MPS-1. In 1991 when Ryan was diagnosed, there was limited research on the disease, and in an effort to find a cure, the Dants took it upon themselves to raise funds for research. Their commitment to find a cure inspired Mark to create the Ryan Foundation which began with a community bakesale fundraiser that netted $342. Over the next three years, Mark continued to raise funds through community events to eventually accumulate $100,000.
In 1995, Mark met a scientist from UCLA who was one of the few researchers in the world studying MPS-1. Mark donated the foundation’s proceeds to the institute, and over the following years, the Ryan Foundation raised over a million dollars more for the research program. As a result, a synthetic version of the enzyme as created, which has successfully helped patients diagnosed with MPS-1 around the world. The new drug is now being used in 89 countries worldwide |
Regardless of the impediments from the disease, Ryan, who is now 24 years old, is a productive member of society. Because of the disease, Ryan has encountered difficulty with job opportunities, but nonetheless, Ryan continues to be extremely proactive in the community.
Ryan has earned the distinction as a Star of the 24th for his tenacity to overcome his disease and his enthusiasm for being a contributing member of society.
Q&A with Ryan Dant
What are some of the biggest obstacles you have overcome during your life?
Some obstacles that I have had to get past were the difficult times of not knowing what was in store for the rest of my life, the unknown. As a young child, I basically knew that unless a miracle happened, my life would end by my early teens. I also had to struggle with the difficulty of needing to have multiple debilitating surgeries while kids my age were able to continue with their normal lives filled with sports and other activities. Also, when I would have horrible headaches at school, I would need to come home to lay down or else I would end up getting violently ill and pass out. Perhaps the greatest struggle has always been to continue to focus on the positive in life regardless of my circumstances and realize that every life is what we make it.
What are some of your goals for the future that you are trying to achieve?
I have a couple of dreams that I would like to accomplish now that science and medicine have given me a life ahead. I would like to transfer to the University of Louisville where I have a scholarship waiting for me to be a student equipment manager for the football team. After graduating, I would like to find a job working for either a college or a professional sports team. I hope to spend my life as an example to all others that by continuing to focus on the positives in each life, wonderful things can and do happen. There is always hope if you believe you can make a difference for others.
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