Ryan Murphy.Photo: David Crotty/Patrick McMullan/Getty
Ryan Murphyhas some exciting news to share about his youngest sonFord’s health.
“Three years ago my beautiful son Ford went for a standard typical 18 month exam,” Murphy said, while presenting an award to Dana Walden, who was being honored for her with the UCLA Jonson Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Fortunately, during the check-up, “Ford coughed at the exact right moment” as his physician was performing an abdominal exam.
According to theAmerican Cancer Society, “neuroblastoma starts in certain very early forms of nerve cells, most often found in an embryo or fetus” and the “type of cancer occurs most often in infants and young children. It is rare in children older than 10 years.”
After learning about his son’s diagnosis, Murphy reached out to Walden, who is godmother to both his children.
“Ford went through a six hour surgery and years of intense exams which required hours and hours of anesthesia. I cannot express to you in this room how difficult this was on him, how difficult this was for our family,” he said, adding that while he has yet to “emotionally recover” from it all, “Ford has.”
“I am so proud to proclaim that he is cancer free,” Murphy added, as the room burst out in applause.
Opening up about the lessons he learned from the experience, Murphy stressed that “this is a disease that touches us all.”
“We must help and we must be prepared and we must be proactive,” he shared, adding that last year his family made a $10 million donation to the Children’s Hospital, where Ford received treatment — thanks to Walden.
“There is now a wing dedicated under Ford’s name that specializes in helping children without our resources,” he said. “Children without a champion like we had in Dana Walden.”
Murphy first revealed his son had beendiagnosed with neuroblastomalast October, shortly after Ford’s fourth birthday.
“I’d like you to meet Ford Theodore Miller Murphy. Today is a big day in his and our family’s lives,” Murphy captioned a smiling Instagram photo of Ford riding a horse.
Murphy and his photographer husband, David Miller, worked through as a couple the fear and pain of watching their young son fight for his life.
“My better half, David Miller, was a rock through this — strong and patient and loving (I was always a trembling wreck),” wrote Murphy, who also shares sonLogan Phineas, 6, with Miller.
Earlier that year, Murphy also opened up about the “traumatic” night Fordnearly died as an infant.
“We called 911. Obviously we were in panic and we were doing CPR and they showed up at 2 a.m. in the morning. There were four responders. They were incredibly and calm and nurturing. They forced me to leave the room,” Murphy explained at the panel for his Fox drama,9-1-1. “They brought him back to life.”
According to Murphy, Ford had a “tracheal blockage in his throat that is genetic” — something he was born with and his parents were unaware of. “When they took him to the hospital they did a procedure to correct that,” he said.
Reflecting on the terrifying night, Murphy credited the emergency responders with saving Ford’s life.
“If they hadn’t shown up, I think my son would’ve died,” he said.
source: people.com
