WAVE-TV3
Before the fillies ran for the lilies in the 137th Kentucky Oaks today, a Louisville woman made a special walk around the Churchill Downs track. A chain of unthinkable tragedies has changed Julie Ryan's life forever. For the first time, Julie sat down to tell her story.
In the spring of 2010, Julie was living a normal life. She was working at a job she loves, had been happily married to her husband Rick for ten years and was being a mom to her young daughter, Hayley. But a doctors diagnosis quickly changed everything for the 36-year old.
"It was aggressive breast cancer," said Julie.
Despite the diagnosis, Julie vowed to stay strong for her daughter
"I was just more concerned about what she was going to have to deal with," Julie said. "I wasn't concerned with myself at that point, it was just a matter of getting through it. I knew I had to."
During Derby Week 2010, Julie underwent a bilateral mastectomy.
Her boss and close friend, Ruthie Maier, was by her side during chemotherapy and daughter Hayley provided the positive push, like joining her mom on cancer walks to help get her through it.
"It made it easier for me knowing that she needed me," said Julie."
In November, Julie got good news.
"Everything was clear," she said. "They didn't see anything else."
So Julie said the family started making plans again. The first plan - a visit to Alabama to see Julie's mom for Christmas.
It was a trip Julie said the
y have made a million times. But as fate would have it, this time they never made it there. Less than two miles from her mother's home in Cullman, Alabama, police say 45-year-old Kenneth Burns, a repeat drunk driver, slammed into the family's Suzuki and another car. Rick suffered serious brain trauma. Hayley was killed.
"Her seat was crushed completely against mine," said Julie. "It was devastating."
On Julie's wrist is a pink bracelet that reads, "Hayley is my angel."
"She loved to play, she loved to run, ride her bike and loved gymnastics she would run around the house all the time doing cartwheels and flips and she was just full of life," said Julie.
Family and friends recently celebrated what would have been Hayley's 9th birthday at Resthaven. That's where she's buried next to Julie's dad.
Through cancer and the loss of a child, Ruthie has stayed by Julie's side.
"She's been amazing," said Julie of Ruthie. "She's been absolutely amazing. I've worked here since I was 18, so she's been my second mom half my life."
Saying she's never witnessed a better example of strength, Ruthie nominated Julie for the Kentucky Oaks Survivors Parade. Only 137 cancer survivors from across the country are chosen for Kentucky Oaks 137.
"She's been through so much this year and she has managed to pull herself up by the bootstraps and go on," said Ruthie.
Well over 1,000 votes flooded in for Julie. The tickets arrived at the door.
"It means the world to me," Julie said, "people that voted for me. It's just the nicest thing that anybody's ever done for me."
To make that walk and spend time with a group of survivors and hear their stories is something Julie knows will be part of her road to recovery. She also knows her little angel will again be making the walk with her.
"She's with me all the time, but I know she'll be with me that day," said Julie. "I know no matter where I am, she's with me."
Julie says Rick is still recovering from his brain injuries, but is making great progress.
Before the fillies ran for the lilies in the 137th Kentucky Oaks today, a Louisville woman made a special walk around the Churchill Downs track. A chain of unthinkable tragedies has changed Julie Ryan's life forever. For the first time, Julie sat down to tell her story.
 |
| Julie, Rick and Haley Ryan |
"It was aggressive breast cancer," said Julie.
Despite the diagnosis, Julie vowed to stay strong for her daughter
"I was just more concerned about what she was going to have to deal with," Julie said. "I wasn't concerned with myself at that point, it was just a matter of getting through it. I knew I had to."
During Derby Week 2010, Julie underwent a bilateral mastectomy.
Her boss and close friend, Ruthie Maier, was by her side during chemotherapy and daughter Hayley provided the positive push, like joining her mom on cancer walks to help get her through it.
 |
Haley Ryan |
In November, Julie got good news.
"Everything was clear," she said. "They didn't see anything else."
So Julie said the family started making plans again. The first plan - a visit to Alabama to see Julie's mom for Christmas.
It was a trip Julie said the
y have made a million times. But as fate would have it, this time they never made it there. Less than two miles from her mother's home in Cullman, Alabama, police say 45-year-old Kenneth Burns, a repeat drunk driver, slammed into the family's Suzuki and another car. Rick suffered serious brain trauma. Hayley was killed.
"Her seat was crushed completely against mine," said Julie. "It was devastating."
On Julie's wrist is a pink bracelet that reads, "Hayley is my angel."
"She loved to play, she loved to run, ride her bike and loved gymnastics she would run around the house all the time doing cartwheels and flips and she was just full of life," said Julie.
Family and friends recently celebrated what would have been Hayley's 9th birthday at Resthaven. That's where she's buried next to Julie's dad.
Through cancer and the loss of a child, Ruthie has stayed by Julie's side.
"She's been amazing," said Julie of Ruthie. "She's been absolutely amazing. I've worked here since I was 18, so she's been my second mom half my life."
 |
| Ruthie Maier and Julie dressed up for the Oaks Parade |
"She's been through so much this year and she has managed to pull herself up by the bootstraps and go on," said Ruthie.
Well over 1,000 votes flooded in for Julie. The tickets arrived at the door.
"It means the world to me," Julie said, "people that voted for me. It's just the nicest thing that anybody's ever done for me."
To make that walk and spend time with a group of survivors and hear their stories is something Julie knows will be part of her road to recovery. She also knows her little angel will again be making the walk with her.
"She's with me all the time, but I know she'll be with me that day," said Julie. "I know no matter where I am, she's with me."
Julie says Rick is still recovering from his brain injuries, but is making great progress.
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