TheViewFromMySeat: October 2008

Hello Friends, Family and Trojan Football Fans,

It’s with a heavy heart that I share the news that my friend Ryan Davidson passed away yesterday on his birthday. He was 16.

Many thoughts and prayers to Kirby, Amy and Mallory Davidson and to all those that cared and cared for Ryan over these past years. That Ryan’s story is such a long one is a tribute to you all. Of course we are saddened that such a young man is taken at such a young age, way before his time, but all I can think of is that God needed him for something.

Many of you may recall the notes I shared with you all earlier this year about this remarkable and brave, young man.

I have had many notes in the past day, thanks to all for your support. Thanks to those of you that wrote a note to Ryan and his family on their website and please accept a special gratitude to those of you that supported his Relay for Life Team in Sun Prairie, WI.

Here is an excerpt from the Davidson Family website: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/ryandavidson

Ryan Davidson...Our Friend and Hero.

It is with great sadness and heavy hearts we tell you:

At 2:15 on February 19, 2009, and on his 16th birthday, the angels came and guided Ryan home. While resting comfortably and with his family near by, his 9 ½ year battle with cancer ended. And although his shell here on earth failed him much too early, his spirit is strong and will continue to live on in those of us lucky to have known and loved him. We have been blessed by his presence and look forward to the day that we join him in God’s castle.

All I could think of this morning during an absolutely glorious sunrise is the Hope and Light that Ryan brought to us all and continues to do so. His courageous battle against brain cancer is a living example to us all. He really is a True Trojan, he never stopped smiling, he never stopped giving, never stopped leading, he never gave up, always Fighting On! I thought of how gratified I was when USC granted him his dream, and presented him an honorary admission to USC and Dean Harrington delivered it to Ryan and his Family in person. I thought of my Thundering Herd friends sneaking this “get well card” poster into the Coliseum, and them telling me of Ryan and his Dad’s reaction when they saw it as he walked onto the field as a USC Captain.

(Nice pic Jack, thanks).

I really appreciate the emails in the intervening time since my last note to you all late last year. Everything is cool, I am fine, sad for sure, but relieved my buddy is not suffering anymore. My hope and prayer now is that Kirby, Amy and Mallory find peace and love.

We shifted our focus from football blogging in late October to make a short film about Ryan’s visit last October, and then Tournament of Roses Season kicked in. Thanks to the many USC football fan readers of TheViewFromMySeat who wrote as well. Sorry we couldn’t get more out. I have over 50GB of stored footage of UCLA, Notre Dame and other games that I will cut and post in the dark days of the off season. It’s been an Amazing year, you readers and viewers tagged the YouTube website over 60,000 times and www.altadenatrojan.com got an astounding 240+ Gigabytes of bandwidth, that’s over 240,000 MBs, wow, thanks. In a small tribute to Ryan, over 90GB of that bandwidth were in October right after Ryan and Kirby’s visit.

He is a short clip from Ryan’s movie that his Family especially liked and I thought some of you might like to see.

That 10,000 watt smile is just unbelievable. This is the closing montage from the movie. A Beautiful Day

Some other pieces from Ryan’s visit are here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-u1jf4NKEg&feature=channel_page

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KE4zI_dyEMw&feature=channel_page

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlS1oYJSnRw&feature=channel_page

And finally if you want to relive Ryan and Kirby’s trip last October as we saw it and reported it as a real time video blog back to Amy and Mallory back home; the video blog is here: AltadenaTrojan.com Video Blog

Well, who among us hasn’t known someone, a friend like Ryan or someone in our family, who has been touched by cancer?

While I couldn’t do much to relieve Ryan’s pain, or anyone’s, I can adopt Ryan’s cause, which was Relay for Life.

When Ryan received his unfortunate diagnosis in October, right before his visit, he said:

“We’ve got to raise the most money ever in next year’s American Cancer Society Relay For Life so that no other child has to go through this.

Being the top fundraiser for the past 3 years is not enough. We’ve got to set a record and raise thousands! I’m serious!”

My thanks to the many of you that have already contributed to Ryan’s cause, you and many others have done a great thing.

Ryan has done so well that his Story was posted on the main national Relay for Life webpage. www.relayforlife.org

If you would like to contribute directly to his effort; here is his donation page for his Relay for Life Team at home in Sun Prairie, WI. Ryan Davidson’s Relay for Life Team page

I have started a few Relay for Life Teams here locally so that Ryan’s friends here in the Los Angeles area can come out and walk a lap or two in honor of our Trojan Brother. If you are not in LA, or not in town, you can donate directly to Relay for Life at Ryan’s page above or to one of the Teams below. We would really like to have some team members join us to walk, so please join us if you can. Think of the lasting statement a group of us could make, walking for him and for all those of our friends and family touched by the insidious disease cancer, ENOUGH! We can do something, together.

Ryan Davidson’s Team in LA - USC April 4-5, 2009

Ryan Davidson's Team In LA - Pasadena May 30-31

Ryan Davidson's Team in LA - Altadena June 6-7

Please Join us to Celebrate Ryan’s Life, Remember his Courage, Gifts and Service to us all, and join us to FIGHT BACK!

Thanks, I appreciate all your support and consideration to read this.

I hope to see you at one of these Relay events, thanks for all your support this past year.

Fight On!