Ryan’s Story

“Life is about helping other people.”

Ryan Teixeira

“Life is about helping other people.”

Ryan Teixeira

Ryan’s Story

Ryan was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma at age 18, months after signing a baseball scholarship with Colorado Mesa University. His dreams were put on hold to fight for his life. While in the hospital for intense chemotherapy, Ryan’s nurse navigator explored wish-granting opportunities for him. He began planning a trip which served as a distraction while he endured treatment. He was left heart-broken when he heard that, due to his age, he did not qualify for most organizations. Shortly after, Ryan had surgery for the removal of a large tumor in his right leg in August of 2015. Ryan came out of surgery with the idea to start the 17 Strong Foundation, granting “Victory Trips” to young adults like him that are often in the forgotten age group. From his hospital bed, Ryan outlined and drafted our organization and its mission.

After more intense cancer treatment and therapy, Ryan moved to Colorado to officially begin his college and baseball career in January of 2016. His baseball team and coaches had stayed in touch and had been rooting for him throughout his illness. Ryan worked out with the team, completed spring semester, then spent the summer back home in Pismo Beach.

Ryan returned to CMU in August of 2016 and traveled to Pennsylvania for the Little Leage World Series as a volunteer for the Challenger Division, a program offered by Little League to enable kids with physical and mental challenges to enjoy the game of baseball. After the trip, he developed a cold that wouldn’t go away. It was soon discovered that Ryan had developed leukemia, a side effect resulting from the chemotherapy he received for Ewing’s Sarcoma; he was flown to UCLA Medical Center in California on September 13, 2016. After more intense treatment followed by a bone marrow transplant, Ryan bravely battled through breakthroughs and setbacks for six months. On March 4, 2017, Ryan passed away leaving behind his legacy of 17 Strong.

Ryan made a lasting impact on everyone he met with his infectious positivity, leadership, ambition and love for life. His passion to provide encouragement and inspiration for others has helped survivors celebrate their victories, start fresh and gain a new family of survivors and supporters. Ryan’s parents, Holly and Steve Teixeira, lead the organization today with a passion for helping those like their son who have battled this painful journey.

Meaning of #17

When Ryan was eight years old, he wanted to pick a number that he could keep with him through his sports journey. His dad helped him research the Biblical meanings of numbers and discovered that 17 stands for Victory. From then on, #17 became Ryan’s number in every sport he played. When Ryan was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma, his cousin Charlie coined the name “17 Strong” to show his support for Ryan during his cancer journey, and the name stuck.