By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2025-03-12 18:51:41 | Updated at 2025-03-12 22:37:52
3 hours ago
A young father-of-six has contracted an ultra-rare skin disease, with doctors from one of the most respected medical institutions in the world giving him just six months to live.
Ryan Becker of Spokane, Washington, began noticing large, painful sores on his legs in January.
The unwelcome lesions started appearing on his body just before his 38th birthday and after his whole family went on a trip to Disneyland.
'There was just something in body that was killing me,' Becker told KHQ TV while sitting in a hospital room with his wife Mikkel.
He added that the initial blister on his leg popped after which it 'turned into a dark purple, and eventually it became black.'
After visiting urgent care and a dermatologist, he was told he likely had Pyoderma Gangrenosum and that he needed to go to the emergency room immediately.
Much is unknown about Pyoderma Gangrenosum - including what causes it or if it's genetic - but the Mayo Clinic says patients often first notice a small bump on their skin. Within days, it can turn into a large and painful open sore.
Most people afflicted with disease can seek treatment and manage it, but Becker's case has proven to be much more serious. This has led to doubts that he even has this particular infection.
Ryan Becker and his wife Mikkel are pictured with their kids at Disneyland, before he contracted a unknown and deadly skin disease
The lesions first appeared on his legs but quickly spread to his upper body, including his arms and back
The lesions now cover 40 to 50 percent of his skin, having spread past his legs to his upper body.
The first hospital, despite doing a CT scan, said he was fine and sent him home, according to Becker. It was when he went for a second opinion at another hospital that the black sores spread to his arms and back.
Doctors in Spokane couldn't seem to help him, and his pain became so severe, they had to sedate him.
'And I woke up about seven days later and my wife said, "We're going to Mayo." And I said, "What? The Mayo Clinic...how am I going to the Mayo Clinic, doesn't that take months or years to get in?"'
The couple and their four-month-old baby flew to the world-renowned clinic in Minnesota immediately, with the pilot even wishing them luck over the intercom.
By the time they arrived, Becker's condition had dramatically worsened but his spirits remained high.
'I'm in so much pain, I'm crying, I'm sweating, but I'm also filled with this awe and respect and joy,' he said.
'There are 70 other people on the planet right now statistically who are suffering from the same thing I am and how am I the lucky one that gets to go to Mayo?' he added.
The lesions, both red and black in color, now cover 40 to 50 percent of his skin and are extremely painful
Becker and Mikkel are pictured on a plane headed to the world-renowned Mayo Clinic in Minnesota
Doctors had Becker on extremely powerful painkillers such as OxyContin and Fentanyl just so he wasn't in agony for every waking moment.
The Mayo Clinic spent two weeks running every test they could think of and were still stumped at the end of it.
So, Becker and his wife got on another plane and headed to the Johns Hopkins Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, D.C.
Doctors at the hospital, which partners with the National Institute of Health's Undiagnosed Diseases Program, are working around the clock to find an answer for Becker's unusually severe illness.
Since Pyoderma Gangrenosum doesn't normally present this aggressively, Becker is undergoing tests for many different infections in case he has been misdiagnosed.
Still, doctors arrived at the sobering prognosis that Becker could have just six more months left to live.
'We're going to do everything in our power to have the best days of our lives and make tomorrow even better,' he said. 'We could either be negative about it and spend the next six months being miserable or we could be positive.'
Since Becker and his wife can no longer work, they launched a GoFundMe on February 21 to help pay for medical bills.
Becker was recently hit with the awful news that all the treatment he received while at the Mayo Clinic was not covered by his health insurance, meaning he'll be on the hook for a $100,000 bill
The GoFundMe, created before he knew he'd have to pay a six-figure sum for life-saving care, has raised nearly $24,000 as of Wednesday afternoon
It was explained that if Becker didn't go back to working half-time by February 22, the whole family would lose his work-sponsored health insurance.
Expenses pertaining to travel, home care, babysitting, boarding the pets that can't be near his skin and possibly remodeling to his home will add up fast, they wrote.
On top of all that, Becker was recently hit with the awful news that all the treatment he received while at the Mayo Clinic was not covered by his health insurance.
The letter from the clinic read: 'Your insurance has denied a claim as patient responsibility. The balance remains your responsibility until it is resolved.'
Becker said he is on the hook for more than $100,000.
The GoFundMe, created before he knew he'd have to pay a six-figure sum for life-saving care, has raised over $24,000 as of Wednesday afternoon.
