LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Amidst the madness of corralling three children under ten, 3-year-old Ryan proves to be a typical middle sister.
"The only thing that's different about her is she can't walk and she has to use a wheelchair," says Ryan's 9-year-old sister Rileigh.
Ryan's father, Chris Neighbors, says his middle child has been wrapped around his finger since the day she was born.
"Ryan is a miracle. She changed my life forever," he says.
Born with Spina bifida, Ryan faces challenges beyond her wheelchair. She can't use a bathroom on her own, and she has central sleep apnea so her brain does not signal her to breathe when she sleeps.
Three separate times in her short life, Ryan has nearly died. In one case, her father had to administer CPR.
"That was the scariest moment of my life. I think that is the first time I've cried, like actually balled," he says.
But it wasn't until a trip to a water park last summer that sparked the family's interest in seeking alternative options for Ryan's care. Ryan was unable to go on any of the slides, and her parents say her disappointment was heartbreaking.
"That was the first time that she showed sadness in her face because she couldn't do something," says Chris.
Hoping to give their daughter more independence, parents Shelly and Chris turned to social media support groups and found out about Stem Cell Therapy.
"The stem cells what that will do is start to re-grow and re-pair her muscles and nerves and bones that were affected in utero. And ultimately give her more independence," says Shelly.
But with stem cell therapy not approved in the U.S., and insurance not covering the treatment, once again, they were turning to a virtual community of strangers for help.
They logged onto "Give Forward"-- a site that helps raise money for medical expenses. They pitched their case for a trip to Nova Cells Institute in Mexico for a breakthrough stem cell treatment for people with Spina Bifida.
One treatment costs $16,600 plus travel, so the Neighbors are trying to raise $22,000 through the site.
Since it launched in December, the family's hope for a medical trip to the Mexican border has spanned the internet.
"We had people all the way up in New Jersey, New York, even up in Canada donate," says Shelly.
So far they have raised over $2,000 on the site, and about $13,000 through community events. Putting them closer to the dream of seeing Ryan walk.
"I want her to be able to play with me and stuff and stand up by herself," says big sister Rileigh.
And this family is stopping at nothing to get there.
"We can sit here and do therapy and see no results for the rest of her life, or we can do something that's unconventional," says Chris.
Ryan's parents hope to eventually start their own charity that will help other children with Spina Bifida receive this stem cell treatment.
