Musician and radio host Ryan Hamilton has revealed he was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. And he has been keeping his fans updated as he begins treatment.
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On Sept. 14, Hamilton posted a picture of himself from the hospital on Instagram, writing “If you pray, please pray 🙏🏻 Waiting on tests, but they think I have cancer. I don’t know what else to say… but I’ve never been so scared.”
He confirmed that he did have cancer the next day, sharing that he was in the ICU.
After some time in the hospital, he was officially diagnosed with Mantle Cell Lymphoma, he shared several days later.
“I am VERY lucky to be alive, & it was very touch & go for a few days there. Feeling incredibly grateful to still be here, & to have all of the incredible support,” he wrote.
After being released from the hospital, Hamilton revealed he started a GoFundMe to help as he continued treatment.
“Unfortunately, fighting cancer comes with another reality that I wasn’t prepared for: the extraordinary cost,” he wrote. “I have health insurance. I’ve also qualified for financial assistance. I am incredibly grateful for both. Even with that help, the expenses I’m facing are overwhelming.”
He explained that there is one medication he must take that costs $300 per pill. And he has to take it every day for the next two years.
Currently, he is taking eight different medications.
“That doesn’t include everything else that comes with cancer treatment: ongoing oncology care, chemotherapy and other treatments, testing, scans, hospital expenses, follow-up appointments, and the financial reality of trying to recover and work while undergoing treatment.”
“I never imagined I would be creating a GoFundMe to afford to fight for my life,” he wrote.
As he goes through treatment, Hamilton is keeping his followers in the loop. He is being transparent about the struggle of not only treatment, but parenting a preschooler and working throughout it all.
“I have a lot to fight for,” he wrote in the fundraiser. “I’m a dad, and more than anything else in this world, I want to be here to watch my daughter grow up. I have songs I haven’t written yet. Shows I haven’t played yet. Friends and family I love, and a whole lot of life I’m not finished living.”